Rogers' Streets Damaged In Winter Storm

Richard Alarcon (cq) with Roots Lawn and Landscape plows snow and ice on Sunday, Dec. 8, 2013, from the parking lot at the Center for Nonprofits in Rogers.
Richard Alarcon (cq) with Roots Lawn and Landscape plows snow and ice on Sunday, Dec. 8, 2013, from the parking lot at the Center for Nonprofits in Rogers.

ROGERS — December’s ice and snow storm was more than an inconvenience for residents, it damaged city streets, officials said.

“Anytime you have water on the street and it freezes, thaws and then refreezes it will cause cracks in concrete and asphalt which creates potholes over time,” said Frankie Guyll, street superintendent.

As ice and snow melts, the water seeps into the smallest cracks in the road surface. When night arrives, or the temperature drops below freezing, the water refreezes and expands the crack, Guyll said.

“When that happens two or three times, the crack gets bigger and, as vehicles run over the crack, it breaks the asphalt or concrete. Eventually, where there was a crack, you end up with a pothole,” Guyll said.

There's no accounting as to the number of potholes created by the storm, but Guyll said there are more than a few.

“As we find the cracks or potholes, we put the location on a list. We make repairs as quickly as we can,” Guyll said.

However, patching the potholes is near a standstill because temperatures are hovering at the freezing mark and below, and more winter weather is predicted.

“We have a cold mix we use in the winter, but it has to be above freezing for it to bond to the asphalt properly,” Guyll said. “We patched a couple of holes Thursday, but it’s not much more than a Band-Aid. We’ll have to go back in warmer weather to make a better patch.”

The amount of damage done to the streets won’t be known until the weather warms, said Steve Glass, planning and transportation director.

“We know there is some street damage, but I won’t be able to do a full accounting of the damage until this spring. Frankie is repairing the streets, which will help keep the streets from sustaining further damage,” Glass said.

The Street Department has used more sand, gravel and chemicals on streets than expected, officials said.

“We used more than 1,000 tons of sand, several tons of gravel and a lot of chemicals in December. Normally, we get the really bad weather in January and February. The early storm has been costly as far as snow and ice removal is concerned. We had crews working 14 hours a day during the worst of the storm trying to keep the streets clear,” Guyll said.

Guyll said he hasn’t added up the cost of gravel, sand or chemicals used during the storm.

“I would estimate we spent around $100,000 during the December storm, that includes overtime and materials,” Guyll said. About $20,000 was spent paying for additional graders and operators to work during the storm, he said. The graders are used as snowplows during winter weather.

There is no line item in the 2013 or 2014 budget that breaks out how much money is set aside for snow and ice removal, said Casey Wilhelm, city finance director.

“The cost is spread between several line items, from materials, equipment and overtime pay,” she said.

Jerry Shelton, manager of Car Care Center at First and Cherry streets, said there's another aspect drivers might not know regarding potholes.

“You only have to be going 30 mph to 40 mph and hit a pothole to cause damage to a car’s suspension system,” Shelton said.

“A deep pothole can knock the front end out of alignment. Hit the hole hard enough and you can also bend a tie rod or cause other damage to your car,” Shelton said.

Suggested pull quote:

“Eventually, where there was a crack, you end up with a pothole.” — Frankie Guyll, Rogers street superintendent

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