Our Maine Street's Aroostook Issue 28 : Spring 2016 | Page 15

still, the potholes I located this week are big enough to
cause some serious damage. The pothole in the photos,
which I lovingly call Bigfoot, is located on route 1A South
in Fort Fairfield. Bigfoot is about six inches deep, two
feet long and two feet wide in some places. The rubber
ducky in the photos is an average sized rubber ducky
(three inches long and three inches high). He is engulfed
by Bigfoot. Had there been water in
the pothole, the ducky could have
enjoyed a wonderful swim.
According to AAA, potholes like
Bigfoot cause an average of $300
car damage per incident and
the average driver will hit three
damaging potholes over five years.
I guess I am above average. I seem
to hear that, “fa-thud” at least once
each spring (or each week according
to my husband). Each time I pray
I won’t hear the broken tire belt
“floovb floovb vwomp vwomp”
or feel the tugging of the steering
wheel, but in most cases I do and
head to the garage for a new tire
or alignment. Expensive? Sure is.
But, there MAY be some financial
assistance from your insurance
company. And, the so-called Maine
Pothole Law (23 M.R.S.A.) requires
that roads be kept in good repair
and safe for drivers. Once a pothole
has been reported, a town has 24
hours to repair the hole. If the town does not repair the
hole and you have an accident or car damage because of it,
the town is liable for your damages. Of course, there are
lots of caveats to the law and lots of red tape.

sixty to ninety seconds. And, it only needs one operator,
not the usual three or four highway employees used by
most towns. Using environmentally friendly materials the
Pothole Killer is fast, safe, and the patch lasts for years.
The best part? It works in below freezing temperatures –
no more cold patches!
Sounds great. Why don’t we use
it? Like most new technology, the
Pothole Killer is expensive. The
machine alone costs over $300,000;
although, you can rent the machine
for about $43,000 a month. In
addition to the prohibitive cost,
there is some indication that
the Pothole Killer’s results are
less than impressive in subzero
temperatures, at least according to
a few towns in Michigan. I guess
we in the County are stuck with
cold patches and potholes. But
don’t be discouraged. There are
ways to deal with potholes, ways
each of us can take to protect our
cars and our sanity.
My first suggestion for County
drivers is to get yourself a bumper
sticker. “Caution: I Brake for
Potholes,” “I am not Drunk, I
am Dodging Potholes “or “Keep
Calm by Focusing on Potholes.”

And focus you must, especially on unfamiliar roads. If you
know where the monsters are you can weave, brake or even
stop still to avoid being lured into their lair. You have been
warned; if you drive County roads in the spring with your
head in the clouds listening to the symphony of birds, you
Just how does one repair a pothole? The usual remedy in are going to hear the thunder of the dreaded, “fa-thud.”
spring is to use a cold patch. According to pothole.com,
all asphalt is not equal. Cold patch is asphalt engineered Another suggestion for making your pothole spring more
for cold weather and is considered a temporary fix because enjoyable is to have some fun with potholes. Float some
it is not durable. The hope is the cold patch will last until rubber duckies in a rain filled one or visit mypothole.com
it is warm enough for a more permanent repair. We’ve all for an inspiring collection of whimsical pothole photos.
seen these cold patches – the pothole is filled in March Don’t let potholes ruin your enjoyment of the County’s
and by April it’s baaaack. There are alternatives, wonderful muddy, often snowy spring.
but costly alternatives. One of the most fascinating
is the Pothole Killer or PK2000. A spray patcher, the
Pothole Killer was developed in 1992 in Bucks County
Pennsylvania. The PK2000 can fill an average pothole in
SPRING 2016

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