In Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia, local authorities have noticed a lot of road damage after the winter. In many cases, however, the extent and amount of damage cannot yet be quantified, according to a survey of municipalities and federal states conducted by Deutsche Presse-Agentur.
"The winter is not over yet, but I assume that more money will have to be spent on repairing damage this year than in previous years," said Saxony-Anhalt Infrastructure Minister Lydia Hüskens (FDP), for example. The frequent changes between frost and thaw are particularly hard on the roads.
Water penetrates existing cracks and pores in the road surface due to temperature fluctuations around freezing point, freezes, expands and contracts again when it thaws. This recurring stress leads to an increase in potholes, cracks and smaller damaged areas.
Cities and districts expect high costs
The cities of Magdeburg, Halle and Dessau-Roßlau, for example, said on request that there were more potholes than in previous years. The district of Börde also reported that the damage after this winter was significantly higher than in the past five years. The situation in the Anhalt-Bitterfeld district is estimated to be similar.
In the Mansfeld-Südharz district, on the other hand, there is no more damage to the district roads than in previous years. The district expects that around 40,000 euros will be needed to repair the weather-related damage.
Smaller holes are currently being repaired
Smaller holes are currently being repaired with cold asphalt in many places. "Due to its product properties, cold asphalt is suitable for immediate repairs even at sub-zero temperatures," said the district of Stendal. Hot asphalt can then be used for repairs from March onwards.
The costs vary greatly, as the Saxon State Office for Road Construction and Transport (LASuV) explained. For smaller repairs with cold mix, the material costs are around 1.00 to 2.50 euros per kilogram. A pothole with a volume of around 40 liters incurs material costs of around 140 euros.
In Thuringia, too, the winter has created a number of new obstacles for drivers. Some districts are reporting significant damage on their county roads. In the Saale-Holzland district, for example, the damage is in the six-figure range, according to a spokeswoman. There are more potholes this winter than in previous years. The districts of Eichsfeld and Nordhausen reported similar reports. The city of Gotha even assumes that the damage will roughly double.
No exact overview of the situation in Thuringia yet
However, the damage elsewhere was similar to previous years. The Weimarer Land region, for example, reported that the frost period this year was comparatively constant. The city of Gera reported a manageable number of potholes - although these had become larger. This is due to the fact that more old "patches" are breaking up. In many districts, no inventories have yet been carried out.
The Thuringian Ministry of Infrastructure does not yet have an overview of how badly the winter has affected the state roads. The current winter season will continue until the end of April. Only then will an assessment be made, according to a spokesperson.
No additional funding for repairs
In Saxony too, there is not yet an overview of the winter and frost damage. The Saxon State Office for Road Construction and Transport (LASuV) will only determine the damage together with the districts during the annual spring inspection at the end of the winter season.
Until then, the districts will repair acute danger spots at short notice with so-called winter patching, which involves the use of cold mix. According to the LASuV, the funds for the repairs come from the regular budget provided by the federal and state governments for road maintenance. There are no special funds for winter damage.
Pothole causes hour-long closure in Leipzig
In neighboring Leipzig, a pothole eight to ten centimeters deep caused an hour-long road closure in the city center on Monday morning. According to the city, the repair cost around 1,500 euros. Various potholes had already been damaged throughout the city in the weeks before.
The city therefore assumes an above-average damage balance compared to the past three years with rather mild winters, according to a spokeswoman. A final inventory has therefore not yet been carried out.
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