Potholes occur as the result of melting ice and snow. The melting water drains under the pavement through cracks caused by traffic. As the temperatures begin freezing at night, the water becomes ice and expands under the pavement, forcing the pavement to lift. As traffic continues to drive over this section of road and the temperatures rise above freezing, a shallow divot occurs under the road and the pavement breaks. A pothole is formed as a result.  Potholes are now mainly patched by our new patch trucks.  These trucks allow one man to do the job with increased safety (the worker never stands behind the truck).  However, some patching is still done by hand.