For students experiencing a bumpy ride in their cars, the Charleston Street Department is providing a temporary solution to the problem.

Street crews are beginning to lay down the temporary asphalt to smooth out bumpy streets with cracked pavement and potholes that are caused by winter weather, said Quincy Combs, street supervisor for the Charleston Police Department.

The crews have been randomly surveying the roads to determine which ones need the most repair and have been working on them one at a time.

“We have been over the whole town at least a couple of times,” Combs said.

Until spring weather arrives, street crews only lay down cold mix asphalt as a temporary solution because it does not last as long. When the danger of winter weather is over, crews will lay down heated asphalt, which is longer lasting than the cold asphalt, Combs said.

At this time, the heated asphalt is not available from the asphalt producer for the Charleston Street Department. It also is not as economical to permanently fix the roads before the threat of wintertime freezing and thawing is over, he said.

The roads are destroyed during the winter as a result of roads freezing and thawing as well as moisture being trapped under the road. The freezing and thawing that occur during the winter months cause the asphalt to expand and contract, which causes them to crack, Combs said.

The salt that street crews put on the slippery roads during the wintertime also lead to the deterioration of the asphalt, Combs said.

Charleston uses asphalt to pave the roads because it is the most readily available in this area, and it also is the most economical for the department’s budget, Combs said.

The condition of the road is “as expected for this time of year, but all in all pretty good,” he said.

Combs said the street department will respond to complaints about the roads when it receives them, but it tries to fix road problems before it gets any complaints.

For any complaints, residents can call 345-5811.