New machine helps St. Paul patch its 'pothole pains'
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If you know anything about filling potholes, then you know you can’t get hot asphalt in winter — that is, unless you have a Bagela Asphalt Recycler.
Late last year, the St. Paul City Public Works purchased one of these machines from Minneapolis for $15,000. Public works employees have been using the recycler since the start of January, under the leadership of Streets Superintendent Jericho Huggar.
“It saves money and (is) just better for the environment, too. So we try to think about that in the city when we're purchasing equipment. How's it going to help with the environment and cost?” Huggar said.
The Bagela machine takes recycled asphalt and creates a modified hot mixture. It's stronger than the usual “cold mix” they have in the winter, and the recycled mix will last until spring, when they can start up the main asphalt plant. City works employees then take the hot mixture out in a heated truck and use it to fill potholes across the city.
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“If you notice the cold patch that we put out, it covers the pothole. It makes it safe, but it's not durable, and it doesn't last very long, and we have to go back,” said St. Paul Director of Public Works Sean Kershaw. “This is more durable and more efficient, and so we can cover more potholes and get the work done so that it lasts longer.”
Kershaw said the asphalt recycler will save the city thousands of dollars in pothole repair and asphalt disposal. He said the city is getting more pothole complaints compared to the last two years of mild winters.
“To sort of misquote a childhood nursery rhyme, they talk about, ‘April showers bring May flowers.’ January rains will bring pothole pains,” Kershaw said.
This year, with the support of Mayor Kaohly Her, the city is getting ahead of those pothole pains. She joined employees for a demonstration of the machine and helped to patch some of the holes along Sycamore Street.
“You see, now I want to do the whole street,” Her said after a few potholes.
“You’re hired,” replied Huggar with a laugh.
Three days into Her’s first term, Renee Macklin Good was shot by federal agents in Minneapolis, pulling all the mayor’s focus to public safety. Her says this is an important part of her job — and so is making sure streets are safe for cars and bikes.
“I think it is really important for people to remember that we can do both, that we can address crises as they are happening, but we have the staff in place so that we continue to move forward on core city services, so that our residents do not see that disruption,” Her said.
Public Works officials said if the new machine continues to perform well, they may purchase another one.
