In this week’s “Ask Matt,” Matt Broom, Hot Springs Village POA Associate Director of Public Services, addresses two topics related to the inclement weather the village recently experienced – potholes and snow plowing.
Resident: I don’t understand how Barcelona Road has potholes from the recent winter event just after it was repaved last year. Shouldn’t a new road hold up better, regardless of how cold it was? Are you not going to hold the contractor responsible for what appears to be faulty work?
Matt: Though Barcelona Road may appear to look like a new road, only the first half mile north of the DeSoto Boulevard intersection was repaved. The rest of Barcelona received an asphalt sealer called Onyx, which is a preservation sealer that adds friction and improves durability. There are no potholes in the section that was repaved. The sealer helped to reduce the number of potholes, but the existing pavement was unable to withstand the freeze/thaw cycles in certain areas where moisture was able to penetrate at the road edges.
Resident: During the recent weather event, our road was never plowed. Why?
Matt: Being in a climate where we don’t get much snow or ice, the POA is not equipped like many northern areas to treat roads extensively in snow or ice situations. The Village has over 468 miles of paved roads and only two trucks equipped with plows and sanders. We have them running around the clock in events like these to keep our over 115 miles of main roads as clear as possible and to support public safety personnel addressing emergencies. This is, in part, why we recommend residents stay inside during these events unless they absolutely must go out until we are able to determine that road conditions are safe.
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