Orange City Council has doubled the number of crews to fill wet weather potholes in the city's streets and rural roads.
Four crews used 48 tonnes of cold mix asphalt to fill pot-holes last week, bringing the total to 117 tonnes of cold mix asphalt used to fill pot-holes in July.
Orange Mayor Reg Kidd said it was great to have the wet weather, but unfortunately that meant more potholes. He urged the community to be patient and drive with care.
"It's fantastic to see water still streaming over the wall at Suma Park and that's happening because the ground is so sodden. No one's complaining that we're getting every bit of run-off because the ground is so wet," Cr Kidd said.
"But the reality is that when the ground is so wet, any tiny cracks in a road surface can lead to a pothole. We're getting on with the work by re-allocating crews to get to as much of this done as we can."
Orange City Council Infrastructure Chair Cr Jeff Whitton said Council crews were prioritising streets with high traffic volumes and high speed, and others with significant water damage.
"No one likes to see potholes, but after this much rain they are inevitable," Cr Whitton said.
"We've had a good run during a long period of dry weather, but this rain has led to some unavoidable damage to the road surface. The more a car drives over a damaged surface, the quicker a pothole will appear."
"Long term Orange residents know it's a seasonal thing and that potholes are part-and-parcel of long wet spells. We know that filling a pot hole with asphalt and gravel is a short-term band-aid but it's about making the roads safe."
"Staff are routinely checking the conditions of both city streets and rural roads, and that data drives the priority list for work. There's also an online form on the Council website, where residents can report the location of a pothole. Crews will get to those reports as soon as they can."
The Report It page where residents can tell Council the location of a pothole can be found here.
SEE ALSO:
Orange City Council has compiled a number of videos about potholes and why they happen.
