Fixing potholes could soon last a whole lot longer. A new asphalt recycler in the city of Tonawanda is making hot patch on demand, something crews say holds up far better than the cold patch we're used to.
"It takes old road millings and turns them into new hot patch to fill potholes," said David Fronczak, city of Tonawanda Department of Public Works Superintendent. "The cold patch that we've been using for years, never really hardens. The asphalt recycler takes old road millings, heats them up, and we add an oil to it and it re-emulsifies and turns it into a hot mix. That material will actually harden," he said.
Fronczak said it works in all temperatures, year round, as a more permanent fix.
Cold patch is designed as a temporary solution. It does not bind well to the existing pavement, and often pops out when vehicles cross over it.
"We've only had the machine for a few weeks, but the holes that we've filled are actually staying filled. It's working a thousand times better than the cold patch."
The machine costs $70 thousand dollars. It is being used in Batavia and the Town of Wales. Niagara Falls, N.Y. has orderd one an the city of Buffalo is looking into it.
It's operated by a crew of four. The prep crew sweeps out the hole and a patch crew fills the hole.
Asphalt Recycler; city of TonawandaDavid Fronczak
