WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — A.J. Yelland has worked for the Wilkes-Barre Department of Public Works for seven years and has recently taken on a new full-time role.
"The pothole guy," Yelland said. "Pretty much every day, patching potholes whenever people call them in."
Especially now that the city has reopened its pothole hotline, allowing residents to report the pesky hazards on city streets.
"The mayor asked us if we would do it all, and we were like, 'Yeah, well, we'll do it. We'll do what you need to get done every day.' So, we're out here every day—cold, rain, snow, sleet, hail. We're out here. We're fixing them."
Last year, the city purchased a Falcon hot asphalt machine. It allows crews to patch potholes with a longer-lasting fix than a cold patch.
"It comes out between 270 to 280 (degrees). By the time you get down here, the material is still fresh and good to go, where it'll stay for years upon years compared to cold patch, which would come out within three to six months."
The city is also renting a second hot asphalt machine so two crews can patch the potholes at once.
"We go through three to four tons a day of hot asphalt."
First the crews clear the pothole of debris, then add hot asphalt, use a tamper machine to fill in any gaps, and then release cold water to cool the asphalt and mold it in place.
Each hot patch is sealed with tar that is kept at 500 degrees and boils into place around it. Then, as the patch dries, it's set with sand.
This is a process Yelland says he takes pride in as he patches up to 20 potholes a day.
"Actually, I do. I come from a construction family where they mostly did potholes and paving," he said. "I kind of have a knowledge for and thankful for that."
He's also thankful for the mild weather to allow crews to get this done in the dead of winter.
"Hopefully, by the end of this month, everything is semi back to normal and the roads aren't as bumpy anymore."