County asks for patience on potholes

Bad potholes after long winters aren't new, but as the snow finally begins to recede and the roads thaw, they are becoming an increasingly jarring problem on the roads around Lincoln.

Eric Griffin, Director of Public Works for Lewis and Clark County, said at Friday's Government Day meeting that they're aware of the problem, but asked people to be patient with them, in light of the recent winter storms that have rolled through the area.

"We know, we're aware of it," he said. "We don't know whether to plow or grade. We can't grade until we're through plowing."

Griffin said the road crews are facing different conditions around the valley. Although the Helena Valley is beginning to dry out, Lincoln still has quite a bit of snow and in Augusta they're still dealing with big drifts.

Of the more heavily traveled roads around Lincoln, Dalton Mountain Road was singled out due to the high concentration of potholes in the road from Highway 200 south to about the intersection with Willow Creek Road.

Griffin asked Francis Beehler, who maintained Lincoln-area roads for the county until 1999, when he'd last seen a winter like this. Beehler said he's seen worse years, such as 1971-72, when there was more snow, but this year stands out due to the amount of moisture in it.