A section of Western Avuenue with a concentration of potholes on both sides of the road. (Photo by Peter Currier)
WESTFIELD- The Department of Public Works provided detail of their plan to fix the pot hole problem throughout the city.
Due to recent severe weather and temperature changes in the region, pot holes throughout the northeast have become larger and more frequent. Westfield is not immune to this and one of the biggest areas of concern is Western Avenue. The DPW has taken notice of the issue and is actively working to fix the problem, but it is more complicated than meets the eye, according to Casey Berube, the DPW’s Deputy Superintendent.
“We are planning to dispatch three crews on Thursday to revisit Western Avenue, Bates Road, and Lloyds Hill,” said Berube, “The challenge for Western Avenue is that it is a road that is slated for reconstruction, so we can only do temporary patches.”
Luckily for the DPW, they have a machine called an Infrared Patching Machine (IPM) to help the process go faster. The large machine goes over each hole and heats up the surrounding pavement so that it becomes more malleable and makes the patch last longer. Despite the use of the IPM, the DPW is limited by the weather, for more reasons than one.
CASEY BERUBE
In the winter, asphalt plants are typically closed, limiting the supply the DPW has access to in order to fill the potholes. Even though the winter days are finally winding down, the threat of more winter weather and extreme cold means that any large areas of patches they do place could be undone.
“It’s not unique to Western Avenue,” said Berube, “It’s across the whole region. Unfortunately, we’re going to have to live with this a little bit longer,” said Berube.
He added that he hopes residents can be patient, as the process is complicated. Berube advised that drivers, if they know they are on a bad road, should drive slowly and carefully while the DPW does what it can to fix things.
“It’s a frustrating time of year for everyone, the DPW included,” said Berube.
