Removal of winter damage has begun
Since the beginning of March, winter damage on the roads in Chemnitz's road network has been being repaired again. Priority is given to repairing damage that poses an acute threat to road safety, as well as damage to the main road network. As a rule, attention is paid to the economic processing of damage in a specific area, as appropriate barriers must be installed.
The damage is identified and recorded by road inspectors from the City of Chemnitz Traffic and Civil Engineering Department. They carry out the same inspection tour every six weeks or so. If damage occurs shortly after such a patrol, the city is also very grateful for information from citizens.
The type of pothole patching depends on the temperature and weather. It also depends on when hot mix is produced. Until the end of February, only the more expensive and less durable cold mix could be used as a "first aid measure" to ensure road safety as quickly as possible. The hot mix plants have been active again since the beginning of March.
Three teams from the municipal building yard and two teams from local companies are currently working on repairing the damage. The head of the road maintenance department and the road foreman from the civil engineering yard are coordinating the measures.
How many potholes can be repaired in one day depends on the size of the damage and which technology is used. In the case of hot mix, each column processes an average of one thermo container of hot mix containing 3 to 5 tonnes per day on Chemnitz roads. This results in a total of 18 to 30 tonnes of hot mix per day. To estimate this quantity, here is a comparison: one tonne of hot mix fills one square metre with a depth of 40 centimetres.
Some potholes have to be patched several times because the technology meant that the joints could not be sealed with sealing tape or cold mix had to be used. As a result, water can penetrate the damaged area and freeze again, causing the damaged area to bulge or break out when it thaws. However, this does not constitute a defect in terms of the warranty.
As a wide range of major road repairs and investment road construction measures are planned throughout the city, an additional consultation will take place to determine whether and when normal pothole patching makes sense.
The City of Chemnitz Transport and Civil Engineering Department estimates that around €620,000 from the road maintenance budget will be needed this year to repair winter damage. In the 2025/2026 biennial budget, a total of approx. 10.5 million is available annually for repair work on roads, cycle paths and footpaths.