Lately, a trip through the streets of Ames is not complete without driving over countless potholes. As a result of the freeze-and-thaw cycles plaguing the region this winter, the streets of Ames display potholes in all shapes and sizes.”We have crews out filling potholes every day,” said Steve Salvo, Ames operations administrator. “When they aren’t plowing snow, they’re filling potholes.”The holes are the result of the changes in weather that the area has experienced over the last few months, Salvo said. During the day, the sun and salt work together to melt the snow and ice. The resultant water trickles into the cracks in the roads.At night, temperatures drop and the water freezes once again. The water running into the roads expands when it freezes, cracking the pavement. As this weather pattern continues, potholes become an increasingly significant problem, he said.”We didn’t have any trouble until it started warming up,” Salvo said. “When it was cold, the snow and ice stayed frozen and didn’t get into the pavement.”The street maintenance crews assigned with combating the potholes begin their work soon after they stop plowing, said Dave Battani, street department foreman.”We wait a couple of days so the ground can dry out,” Battani said. “Then we use a propane torch to dry the hole the rest of the way.”Crews use a cold patch to fill the holes. The patches are made of asphalt and are pliable when cold. Patches turn fairly hard after cars drive over them, creating a temporary solution for the problem, Battani said.”The patch we’re using now is temporary,” Salvo said. “We’re using them until we can use the permanent hot patch.”The process of filling a hole takes only a matter of minutes, Salvo said.”We pick out the loose pieces, sweep out the hole, patch it and run over the patch with the tires of our trucks to pack it in,” Battani said.The crews usually move traffic out of one lane, find the potholes in the lane and fill them, Battani said. This allows the crews to work without creating detours for traffic.Salvo stressed that crews are working as fast as they can to fill the troublesome holes in the city streets. However, it is a big job.”There are just a lot of them out there,” he said. “We’re always out patching them, but there are potholes everywhere.”