Local

A new approach: Rebuilding roads rather than patching potholes

The City of Tulsa has taken a lot of heat for all the road construction projects, but in one way it appears they're paying off for drivers.

The city has had almost no emergency calls for pothole repair, according to Tim McCorkell, Street Maintenance Manager for the city.

He says they're concentrating 1/3rd penny tax dollars on permanent repairs to roads, rather than just patching potholes.

"There's been a lot more construction and permanent repairs that have been done throughout the city in the past couple of years, so it hasn't been as much of an issue as it has in the past," McCorkell told KRMG.

"They're fulling a full-depth construction, removing the street down to the base and rebuilding the whole thing."

The strategy is designed to not only make more permanent repairs, but also to save the city money.

"It eliminates that return time (for road crews) that you have to go back and forth all the time," McCorkell said.

That's not to say there won't be any new potholes after the recent ice and snow.

The city already has four crews out, checking the main arterial roads for pothole problems.

Citizens who need to report a pothole can call the Tulsa Customer Service line at 918-596-2100 or report them online.

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