News
City Of Athens To Repave Streets Over Summer
By: Samantha Ripkin
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The city of Athens will spend approximately $400,000 repaving area roads this summer, fixing the potholes that have become a safety problem for city residents.
“People don’t like to swerve around potholes and crash into other cars or the other alternative is, they just drop their car in a pothole and break their axle or they just have a flat tire and that’s just not an option,” said Jeff Risner, city councilman (D-2nd Ward). “The quicker and sooner that we get it done, the better off the city is going to be.”
“I think it’s a good idea that they are spending a bunch of money to re-pave these roads because it’s in terrible condition,” said Mike Verhotz, an Ohio University sophomore.
Although some roads are in bad condition, the warmer winter kept the pothole numbers down compared to past years.
Significant temperature swings often create cracks when water enters the cracks, freezes, and thaws. These actions cause the asphalt to break and shatter, creating potholes.
“This becomes a safety hazard and an environmental hazard,” Risner said.
The potholes can also be a costly threat to those who hit them.
City council members said the city regularly receives complaints of damage to cars.
“My girlfriend blew her tire out from one of these potholes and she was on her way back to Cincinnati, so it delayed her trip and she had to change a tire and it just caused a bunch of havoc. I think that this money is a good investment,” said Verhotz.
City council says the best time to fix these roads is now; left untouched, they are open to more damage which could become more costly to repair.
Road repairs are expected this summer.
The condition of the roads and traffic determine which roads will be repaired first.