MARBLEHEAD — Drivers across town are encountering a growing number of potholes this spring, a problem local officials say is tied directly to months of intense winter weather and road maintenance operations.

According to Director of Public Works Amy McHugh, the damage begins forming during the coldest months of the year and becomes most noticeable as temperatures begin to fluctuate.

“I think potholes are a spring thing,” McHugh said. “They really are exaggerated by the freeze-thaw, the water that’s gotten through the cracks.”

Water seeps into small cracks in the pavement during winter. As temperatures drop, the water freezes and expands, weakening the road surface. When temperatures rise again, the asphalt breaks apart under the pressure of traffic and snowplows.

The Town began receiving reports of potholes early this year.

“Our first calls came in around Jan. 12,” McHugh said.

While crews addressed early reports, repairing potholes during winter months presents logistical challenges. Asphalt plants are typically closed during the colder months, limiting access to the materials needed for permanent repairs.

“Asphalt plants close in the winter,” McHugh said.

In many cases, crews must rely on temporary solutions until warmer weather returns.

“One is to use cold patch that you buy in a bag,” McHugh said. “It’s expensive. It doesn’t work real well, but it does get you through when you need to get this pothole fixed right now.”

Complicating repairs this winter, the department’s asphalt “hot box” — equipment used to keep asphalt heated for repairs — required maintenance during a major storm.

“Our hot box unfortunately went in for maintenance around Jan. 22,” McHugh said.

When severe storms occur, public works crews must shift their full attention to snow removal.

“Everything stops when snow operations happen,” she said. “You don’t do anything except snow operations.”

To improve repairs moving forward, the Town recently purchased a new 4-ton hot box through Chapter 90 transportation funding. The upgraded equipment includes a dual burner system that allows crews to reheat asphalt rather than discard unused material.

“It’s going to give us extended time,” McHugh said.

Once fully operational, the new equipment will allow crews to repair potholes more efficiently and potentially send multiple repair teams out at once.

“We will be going to pick up asphalt every day,” McHugh said. “That’s what their focus will be.”

Residents are encouraged to report potholes through the Town’s online reporting system so the department can track and prioritize repairs.

“Going online is the best way to do it,” McHugh said, explaining that written reports help crews maintain an accurate list of problem locations.

McHugh noted that the issue is not unique to Marblehead.

“I actually drove around to check,” she said. “They’re everywhere — not just here.”

Winter storms pushed crews to the limit

The surge in potholes follows a demanding winter season for public works crews.

McHugh said the Town’s snow response begins before storms arrive, with crews pretreating roads with salt to prevent snow from bonding to pavement.

“That’s what you have seen as our snow operations,” she said.

Once snowfall reaches roughly 3 inches, full plowing operations begin.

A typical storm response involves roughly 45 pieces of equipment and more than 50 municipal employees drawn from several departments.

“You have 30 vehicles from the DPW, two from the Board of Health, three vehicles from the cemetery, five vehicles from parking, and vehicles from water and sewer,” McHugh said.

Several storms this winter required extended operations.

“We had one that was over 30 hours, continuous hours, long,” McHugh said. “We had one that was over 40 continuous hours.”

In addition to plowing, large storms often require overnight snow removal operations to clear streets and maintain access.

“The majority of the work is done from midnight to 7 a.m.,” McHugh said, noting that streets must often be temporarily closed to allow heavy equipment to work safely.

Those efforts involve as many as 50 vehicles and up to 50 workers, many of whom work extremely long shifts during consecutive nights.

“All Marblehead employees are working 18.5-hour days,” McHugh said.

Despite the demanding winter, public works crews are now shifting their attention to repairing roads damaged during the season.

As warmer temperatures return and asphalt becomes more available, McHugh said residents should begin seeing more permanent repairs in the weeks ahead.