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Burn public works director says extreme winter caused surge in potholes, urges residents to report online
Summary
Dwight Rhinowitz, Burn’s director of public works, said an unusually severe winter produced cracking in hot-mix asphalt that led to potholes and urged residents to report locations via the town website; crews are patching potholes almost daily.
Dwight Rhinowitz, director of public works for the town of Burn, said the town is seeing increased pavement damage after “a real winter” that the town had not experienced in about 13 years. “We haven't had one in about 13 years,” Rhinowitz said, linking the unusual weather to widespread road cracking.
Rhinowitz described how the temperature swings and wet daytime melt-offs stress hot-mix asphalt: the surface can rise and drop, which forms cracks. “When you get the cracking in there, water gets in there and then the car traffic driving over it causes it to crumble and break apart,” he said, explaining that that process is how potholes form.
He urged residents to use the town’s online reporting tool to notify public works of potholes. Rhinowitz said the town previously relied on foremen and crews to spot and report problems but has expanded channels for resident reports: “Town website page and you can go on now and report a pothole.”
On operations, Rhinowitz said the town’s pothole patcher is out “this time of the year almost every day” to keep up with repairs. He said crews drive to listed locations and make repairs as reports come in, reflecting an active day-to-day maintenance effort rather than a one-time project.
No formal votes or policy changes were recorded during the remarks. Rhinowitz’s comments were limited to explaining causes, describing the reporting process, and outlining the town’s ongoing patching response; residents who spot damage were directed to report it on the town website.
