Why Pittsfield Roads Stay Bumpy: The Truth About Asphalt Plants and Potholes

All morning, Marjo and I were talking about the condition of the Hubbard Avenue underpass in Pittsfield. Drivers over the weekend were forced to come to a complete stop before entering the badly damaged section. If you didn't, you probably would have crippled your car. It was that bad. Crews were out repairing it as of Monday morning around 7:30 a.m.

Why We Wait for Asphalt Plants to Open in Pittsfield

You might hear road crews say, “We have to wait until the asphalt plants open up.” Here is the simple reason why and what it means for your drive.

Right now in early March, crews use cold patch to fill holes fast. Cold patch is a special mix that comes ready in bags or big piles. You can dump it in wet or freezing weather with no heating needed. It works okay for a quick fix. But it is not strong. Cars and trucks push it around, water gets under it, and it breaks apart in weeks or months.

For a real, lasting repair, we need hot mix asphalt. This is the good stuff. It is rocks and sticky tar heated to over 300 degrees at big plants. Fresh hot mix sticks tight to the old road, gets packed down hard, and lasts all year and longer. But you cannot make or haul it when it is freezing cold. The mix cools too fast on the truck and will not bond right.

So why do the plants close? Every late fall, usually around November, the weather turns too cold and snowy. Plants shut down to clean machines, do repairs, and get ready for spring. In Berkshire County, our local plants in Pittsfield and Lenox Dale close for the winter. The one in West Sand Lake, New York that supplies a lot of our asphalt does the same, but is more expensive according to Pittsfield Commissioner of Public Works, Ricardo Morales.

When do they open back up? Usually mid to late March, once days stay warm and dry. This year, the West Sand Lake plant opens around March 20. The Pittsfield and Lenox Dale plants will fire up around mid-April, according to Morales. Pittsfield’s highway folks even have a two-phase plan. They do cold-patch fixes now, then full hot-mix crews starting later this month.