City of Lancaster to Conduct Comprehensive Pothole Repair Effort Next Week

The City of Lancaster will conduct a comprehensive pothole repair effort beginning Monday, September 16 and concluding Thursday, September 19, 2019. During this four-day period, the City will deploy five trucks and ten staff members to strictly address potholes. In an effort to ensure as many locations as possible are addressed as part of this concentrated effort, City crews will canvas Lancaster streets in a grid pattern, with all essential repair materials in tow. As potholes are discovered, they will be fixed. “Maintenance and stewardship of our existing infrastructure, especially local roadways, is an important duty that we don’t take lightly,” said Mayor R. Rex Parris. “Residents’ patience and understanding is appreciated during this concentrated effort to improve our streets. As Public Works crews work diligently in the streets throughout these four days, we ask Lancaster residents to be cognizant of crew presence while traveling through the community.” Although the City has an ongoing Pothole Repair Program to inspect and repair these unavoidable features of our much-used traffic network, a concentrated effort was initiated in order to be proactive in preventing further street damage to our streets. Potholes make our streets less drivable, increase wear and tear on vehicles, and reduce safety. A pothole occurs when weakened asphalt is eroded by vehicle tires, which progressively expose and weaken asphalt more and more, eventually causing a pothole to develop. The causes of weak asphalt include: Traffic: Increased flow and heavy vehicles stress the road and cause cracks and fissures. Water: The cracks in the road allow water to penetrate, thus contributing to erosion. Age: Old pavement is less structurally sound and more susceptible to traffic and water damage. To notify the City of any pothole issues in Lancaster, download the City’s Inform Lancaster mobile app or visit the City’s website, www.cityoflancasterca.org.