Cold Patch Prices Coming In Below Expectations

(KNSI) — Potholes are beginning to be filled around the Saint Cloud area, and the cost is less than what had been estimated by local officials. At Tuesday’s Wright County Board of Commissioners meeting, Highway Engineer Virgil Hawkins recommended accepting bids from all four firms who submitted to provide cold patch asphalt. Prices ranged from $56 per ton to $67 per ton for the most common mix.

Hawkins says crews will source materials from the nearest company, depending on where work is occurring at the time. He says the figures are better than what was budgeted for.

“These bids actually aren’t a lot higher than the plant mix bids we received last year. Last year we just received bids from two bidders and they were in the low-50’s. So these were a little bit higher, but not as much as we were expecting.”

Wright County expects to spend $835,000 for bituminous mix purchases this fiscal year.

Stearns County officials say they have seen the same trend. Bids came in below estimates, and were particularly good for those received earlier in the season. County Engineer Jodi Teich says patching and the use of sealant when cracks appear are the two main tools highway departments use to help extend the life of road surfaces.

Potholes commonly form in springtime as soil shifts. When temperatures straddle the freezing point, the moisture content in the ground expands and contracts weakening the pavement. Heavy loads from vehicles eventually displace the concrete or asphalt leaving potholes in their wake.

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