SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane road crews have filled hundreds of potholes since Jan. 1, according to the City of Spokane.
As of Jan. 20, 460 potholes had been filled. In 2018, more than 4,600 potholes were filled across the city.
With Tuesday night’s snowfall, the potholes that haven’t been filled may only get worse. It's a part of the freezing and thawing cycle that expands roads. Potholes form when tires hit those stressed spots.
Maybe you've noticed Spokane roads aren't quite as bad as they've been in past years. Part of this is due to the mild winter we're having and a process the city has in place.
In 2018, the City of Spokane started testing out a couple of different asphalt mixes to help seal these holes. So far in 2019, they've settled on what's called a cold asphalt mix. Crews take the mix, heat it up and pour it into the holes.
They can't start working on any new holes until the snow melts. Marlene Feist with the City of Spokane said crews will be back out continuing that work and starting on any new holes once it does melt.
Some areas are still a bit worse than others but driving along some roads you can see where many potholes have been filled.
