ORANGE COUNTY – This week, the News 6 team tagged along with the Orange County Public Works crew to learn how pot holes get patched up.
A well-deserved thank you goes out to the hardworking Orange County Public Works crew who work five days a week to fix those pesky potholes that drive civilians nuts.
This two man team is just one of the pot hole crews that serves Orange County.
"On average, I'd say we do anywhere from 10 to 15 holes a day," Chris Laflamme EO3 Patch Pothole truck operator said. "A lot of time we'll drive around and find them. If they're very big we will get a call and possibly have flaggers. Because some of these road are really busy and these holes can damage vehicles."
And like most outdoor jobs in Florida, the weather is a big factor.
"If we have a lot of rain we can get anywhere from three to five important holes that could cause damage to vehicles. So it really has to do with the weather," Laflamme said.
The first step is cutting the pot hole out to make a clean slate.
Once the pot hole is cut out and the dust has been cleared- road oil, which bonds the new asphalt to the road, is applied to prevent the pot hole from opening again.
Then it's time for the new asphalt.
Once the new asphalt gets packed down and sealed up it's ready for drivers in a matter of minutes.
And remember when you see work crews outside to give them some space.
"Some people they just have no concern for us working in the road. It gets kind of dangerous at times but we just have to stay alert and be proactive," Laflamme said.