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Along with flowers, springtime in Maine brings along a full bloom of potholes.
The story around the University of Maine this year is no different. Numerous potholes have opened up across campus and in surrounding neighborhoods, creating an impromptu hazard course for any driver unfortunate enough to drive the rougher roads.
With higher snow totals and more frequent storms, road crews at UMaine and in Orono have been busier than usual. However, even with seasonal snowfall totaling more than 110 inches thus far, both services are projected to remain under budget even with current economic difficulties.
“It’s a challenge,” said Geremy Chubbuck, associate director of Facilities Management at UMaine. “It’s always challenging because budgets are tight for everybody. So far this year we’re remaining on budget.”
With 15.8 miles of walkways and more than 2.8 million square feet of parking lots to maintain, keeping UMaine’s paved expanses clear in the winter and repaired over the summer is no small task.
“We try to match the right people and the right equipment to the job,” Chubbuck said. “What the mall area of campus needs is something different from what Hilltop needs.”
He pointed to this level of organization as an important factor in the battle to keep costs within range even when faced with a lengthier season than last year.
Even with the higher snow totals, an official in Orono said this year is no great departure from the norm when considering the number of storms requiring plowing.
“I think it’s generally on par with historical standards,” said Rob Yerxa, director of the public works department for the town of Orono. “This year we’ve been called to respond to 30 [snow] events. Last year it was 26.”
Now that the snow is melting, road crews have to shift their focus to fixing the holes the plows opened up over the winter, a process that is no quick fix.
On campus, the process of selecting which roads and walkways to be fixed often has to do with the needs of residents and teachers. Chubbuck said routes that see heavier traffic from students or teachers will be fixed before those with low traffic.
Unforeseen problems can also make the process more difficult. Recently, a clay sewer line collapsed near Holmes Hall, damaging a large area of the road and forcing road crews to thaw 3 feet of solid ice that had formed in order to patch the area. That section of roadway has been marked for replacement during the summer months.
Yerxa said March is prime time for potholes to pop up throughout the area.
“This month, when you start getting freeze-thaw cycles, that’s really when you get potholes,” he said.
Potholes often form when water seeps underneath a road and freezes, pushing the road surface upward and cracking the asphalt surface. Then, when the ice thaws, the road sinks back down, which can lead to the formation of a hole.
The problem cannot be completely fixed without reconstructing the road’s foundation, something Chubbuck said is simply not feasible.
Producing asphalt costs hundreds of dollars for every ton, which only covers a few square yards. UMaine’s Facilities Management department has budgeted $70,000 a year for roadwork, leaving little room for large-scale repair.
“I would need an army of a thousand men and a million-dollar budget to keep the roads perfect,” he said.
Additionally, fixing roads with asphalt cannot begin until May 1, as the mixture cannot be produced or laid down until ambient temperatures are warm enough.
Fluctuating fuel costs have placed additional strain on maintenance departmental budgets.
“Fuel this year is going to run over, but that’s more to do with the price of fuel than usage,” Yerxa said. “Right now we’re under budget with our snow removal labor and our salt and sand usage.”
Frost heaves and potholes should soon start to vanish as temperatures rise, allowing road crews to begin their annual patching work.
“This is obviously the worst time of year in any year,” Chubbuck said. “It’s a dilemma. It’s a problem for a short time.”
For the time being, a careful eye could be the difference between an easy trip or a costly bill from the mechanic.
“It’s the nature of living here,” Chubbuck said.
