As many Alexandrians would likely attest, 2015’s February was the coldest the city has faced since 1979. Over the winter, Alexandria received 18 inches of snow, higher than the 15 inch average, which has also left Alexandria with larger than average potholes.
According to Jeffrey DuVal, acting deputy director for the Department of Transportation and Environmental Services, the city is transitioning away from their snowy weather recovery mode into pothole repair. DuVal said the city will have four or five internal and externally contracted crews repairing potholes around the city in segmented zones.
DuVal acknowledged that 2014 was the snowiest March in the city’s history, but said his department had to weigh the potential risk of another snowstorm against the immediate danger posed to city transportation by potholes.
The department has an $836,000 annual budget for snow and ice removal. The Fiscal Year 2015 budget allocated $5.2 million to repaving and resurfacing Alexandria’s roads this spring, while the proposed 2016 budget raises that funding to $5.6 million.
DuVal asked that citizens who encounter potholes to contact the city through the Call Click Connect hotline at 703-746-4357, and DuVal said the city would hopefully have the potholes fixed within 48 hours.
“We know [the potholes] are out there, and we’re working as hard as we can to get to them,” said DuVal. “The best thing the public can do is call in and report them so we spend less time hunting for potholes and more time fixing them.”
CORRECTION: In last week’s story, “Hunting Potholes,” the contact number was incorrect. Call Click Connect hotline at 703-746-4357 to report potholes.