Pothole Repair

Water enters cracks and joints, saturates the pavement layers, then expands during freezing and weakens support during thaw. Vehicle loads break the loosened asphalt and eject material. Poor density, open joints, drainage defects, thin pavement, and failed utility trenches accelerate the process. Permanent repair addresses the cavity and its water or support problem.

Cold patch is valuable for winter and emergency safety work when hot mix cannot be placed and compacted to specification. Harrowgate records these locations for follow-up. A permanent repair normally cuts to sound edges, removes wet or failed base, applies tack, places hot mix in controlled lifts, compacts each lift, and seals the perimeter.

Sawcutting removes cracked, undercut, and loose asphalt and creates straight vertical faces that can be cleaned, tacked, filled, and compacted. Irregular feathered edges are difficult to densify and admit water. The boundary extends beyond the visible hole because pavement surrounding the cavity is often fractured even when it has not broken away.

Yes. We isolate a compact work zone, maintain safe alternate routes, and schedule high-traffic or loading areas in phases. Emergency filling can be quick, while permanent cutting, base work, hot mix, cooling, and sealing need a planned closure. Truck turning and concentrated loads may remain restricted longer than passenger vehicles.

The pavement may be settling because basin backfill is loose, the frame is rocking, a pipe opening leaks soil, or the lead has failed. Filling the surface does not stop that movement. Harrowgate inspects the structure and surrounding granular, repairs the basin or connection where required, then reconstructs the pavement to final drainage grade.

Depth follows the failed layers, not a fixed number. A surface defect can be partial-depth, while pumping, alligator cracking, wet granular, or a failed utility trench requires full asphalt and base reconstruction. We remove material until the exposed support is stable and the remaining asphalt edge is dense enough to bond and carry load.

When cavities overlap, cracking connects them, the area moves under traffic, or water has affected a common base zone, one full-depth rectangular patch creates fewer joints and restores support consistently. Harrowgate maps the entire distress limit and compares targeted repair with milling, resurfacing, or reconstruction before placing many small fills.

Some engineered cold materials can perform well, but wet dirty holes, unstable base, inadequate compaction, and severe traffic often make temporary repairs short lived.

Water entry, cracked pavement, failed base, poor drainage, utility settlement, thin asphalt, and weak patch joints can remain after the visible cavity is filled.