North Metro roads are in better shape this year because of the mild winter. The annoying and jarring divots normally seen on highways are not as prevalent this spring.
“Not so many potholes this year at all,” said Peggy Howe of Ham Lake. “There is construction of course on different things, but as far as pothole fills, I’ve seen very little.”
“Quite a bit less honestly this year,” said Ryan Crute from Erickson Asphalt. “It’s been a little lighter.”
This is welcome news for North Metro residents.
“I hate potholes,” Howe said.
These road craters are as popular as mosquitoes.
“Especially when they’re filled with water,” Howe said. “You don’t know it’s there and then you hit it and that’s a really bad bump and you’re worried about alignment on your car.”
Said Crute: “They can be devastating to vehicles.”
Smooth sailing
Historically warm winter temps combined with miniscule snow totals have resulted in roads that are almost pothole-free. In a typical year most highways would be chock full of potholes, but that is not the case this spring.
“That’s exactly what we’re seeing this year,” Crute said.
“I would say after last year, the spring of ’23, this has been a blessing this year,” said Joe MacPherson, Chief Officer for the Anoka County Transportation Department. “If I had to rank it on a 1 to 10 scale – 1 being the best – I would say this season’s pretty close to being number 1, where as last year was clearly number 10.”
Yes it is clear sailing on most North Metro highways in 2024, which means Anoka County crews can spend less time patching potholes and focus on other projects.
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