This year, potholes covering more than five thousand square metres have been repaired on Riga’s streets
Published: 01.03.2021
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The Riga City Council Traffic Department repairs potholes that pose a danger to traffic on streets and bridges regardless of weather conditions, including when the air temperature is below zero. Under such conditions, potholes are “patched” with cold asphalt, as this is the only technology that can be used regardless of weather conditions. This year, the total area of potholes repaired on Riga’s streets is 5,133 m2.
When the air temperature is around zero, potholes that pose a danger to traffic are repaired more intensively using cold-asphalt-laying technology. This is the only pothole-repair technology that can be used regardless of weather conditions, including when the air temperature is below zero. Before cold asphalt concrete is laid, the pothole is cleaned and dried as thoroughly as possible. The main purpose of this work is to prevent situations that pose a danger to traffic. The service life of repaired potholes is affected by several factors—weather conditions, traffic intensity, and the condition of the road surface.
In spring, when the average daily temperature rises above +5o C, mass pothole repairs will begin using conventional technologies with a considerably longer service life—hot asphalt and continuous asphalt paving. These methods make it possible not only to repair potholes that pose a danger to traffic, but also to eliminate smaller defects.
Potholes are considered dangerous to traffic if they are larger than 0.1 m² and deeper than five centimetres. Potholes form most rapidly on sections of streets where the carriageway is in poor technical condition, with defects and cracks having developed. In unstable weather conditions, when there is precipitation and the air temperature fluctuates around zero, defects form unpredictably under the impact of traffic: pieces of asphalt begin to break away from the road surface and potholes form. At present, potholes are forming particularly intensively on A. Deglava Street, Maskavas Street, Ziepniekkalna Street, and Dzelzavas Street, as well as on G. Zemgala Avenue and K. Ulmaņa Avenue.
Street-maintenance regulations stipulate that, after information is received, potholes that pose a danger to traffic must be repaired within three hours. If this cannot be done immediately, road signs are installed or the relevant area is cordoned off until the necessary work is carried out.
To ensure that potholes posing a danger to traffic are dealt with promptly, we call on vehicle drivers to report them to the Traffic Management Centre by calling the free 24-hour information helpline— 80003600.
Author
Public Relations Department of the Riga City Council
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