A crew was out cold-patching potholes Monday. As usual, the winter’s freeze-thaw cycle was not friendly to Warren County’s roads.

The cold patch is not a long-term fix, but should provide some relief to motorists until hot patching material is available next month.

“This is a cold-mix temporary patch,” Maintenance Manager Adam Elms said. “The object is to smooth out the tire-busters and keep people moving. We hope that a portion of it lasts.”

“If you see a pothole today and we fix it, next time it rains or snows, the chances are that cold mix is going to come back out,” Elms said.

The patch material is a mixture of emulsion oil and stone.

Workers shovel the warm material out by hand, dump it into the worst potholes, tamp it down (also by hand), scoop up the excess, and move on.

“We’re hoping that, in the middle of April, we can start permanent patching,” Elms said.

On Monday, the crew handled the length of Miller Hill Road between Jackson Run Road and Route 957.

With the forecast calling for possible snow over the weekend, the patching may have to be put on hold. Crews will be ready to get back into their plow trucks.