City Asphalt Plant to Open Early
Scheduled Opening March 1, 2010
(Saint Paul, MN) Saint Paul Public Works officials announced today that the City Asphalt Plant will open on March 1, 2010. This opening date comes a few weeks earlier than usual.
Kevin Nelson, Public Works Street Maintenance Engineer, explained, “Opening the plant early allows our crews to begin work on pothole repairs earlier than usual. The plant opening also means that we’ll be able to use an asphalt grade that is produced at a higher temperature, which makes for a stronger bond with the road surface. The better the bond, the more durable the patch.”
Public Works crews won’t be the only ones lining up for asphalt, however. Other public works agencies around the metro area can purchase asphalt for their needs as well.
Nelson noted that the past winter’s freeze and thaw cycles have been particularly hard on city streets, and once again the city will rely on help from residents to report on pothole locations. “Public Works is responsible for 1,870 lane miles of road surface in Saint Paul, so we are not always aware of the location of every pothole. Residents are encouraged to contact our Street Maintenance office at (651)-292-6600. We can usually make the repair within twenty-four hours.”
In addition to the 24-hour Street Maintenance telephone number, visit the city’s website where you can report the location of potholes at www.stpaul.gov/pothole. Learn more about the asphalt plant by visiting the Public Works home page at www.stpaul.gov/publicworks and click on Asphalt Plant on the left navigation bar.