Pavement experts say asphalt issues may be buried by snow

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- We've talked a lot about potholes causing problems for drivers this winter, but parking lots and driveways are just as vulnerable.

"This has been a really unusual winter," Poblocki Paving Project Manager Greg Kastenholz said.

Kastenholz says Poblocki Paving has been busy this winter.

"We're getting a lot of calls. I mean, people are saying 'put me first on the list. I want this repaired. I need something temporarily fixed because it's a safety issue,'" Kastenholz said.

Poblocki Paving says those calls are coming from business owners, landlords and homeowners -- looking for repairs to things like parking lots, driveways, sidewalks and more.

"There's a lot of cracks out there, and this winter has been so cold those cracks have really widened up and torn up the asphalt -- even decent asphalt. Work we see that we did and others did last year even have cracked -- whether it was a full-depth repair or just a resurfacing," Rob Fetherston Vice President of Munson-Armstrong Paving said.

The guys who work to fix the problems for a living say there are many more people who have yet to discover the problems in their parking lots and driveways.

"You don't notice it as much when they're covered in snow or ice, so as soon as this weather warms up, people are gonna see things they haven't seen before -- holes, cracks and just little problems they're gonna have to address," Kastenholz said.

For now, businesses like Poblocki Paving and Munson-Armstrong use a cold mix that serves as a temporary solution. The weather may keep crews from making more reliable repairs.

"Usually mid-April, end of April we start getting a lot of phone calls and we start the work in May, but with the way the winter's gone this year, who knows? It might not be until June," Fetherston said.