Debrecen4U February 4, 2026

Repairing Winter Road Damage

Three teams are currently working continuously in Debrecen to repair the asphalt damage caused by the weather conditions of recent weeks.

The extreme winter weather of the past weeks—heavy snowfall, severe cold, followed by thawing—has placed significant strain on the city’s nearly 550 km of paved roads. As a result, potholes have appeared in many locations. Winter precipitation seeps into cracks in the asphalt, freezes in the cold, expands the cracks, loosens the material, and the mechanical impact of vehicle traffic further aggravates the damage, eventually forming potholes.

At present, three teams are working continuously to repair the asphalt damage caused by the recent weather. Asphalt mixing plants typically shut down from mid‑December until mid‑March, so during this period the road maintenance service can only repair road defects using so‑called cold‑asphalt technology. Depending on the size of the potholes and the weather conditions, 150–180 road defects can be repaired per day with this method.

Accordingly, road repairs are currently being carried out temporarily with cold asphalt. This is a special material with excellent adhesion, but it does not provide a long‑term solution. Before use, the damaged area must be cleaned (preferably in dry weather), after which the cold asphalt is applied and compacted using physical force. If a detected road defect is particularly large, it is marked with warning signs until it can be eliminated.

The Municipality of Debrecen emphasized that repairs made with cold asphalt are temporary. Depending on weather conditions, repeated repairs may be necessary, as both the weather and traffic volume influence durability. Permanent and long‑lasting repairs will be carried out using hot‑asphalt technology once the asphalt plants resume operation.

The municipality’s office operates a road inspection service that continuously monitors Debrecen’s road network, and they can record the location of potholes using GPS coordinates. Based on reports from inspectors and notifications from residents, repairs are ordered and carried out first on public transport routes and major collector roads, followed by lower‑category road sections. In January, the municipality repaired more than 1,100 square meters of damaged road surface. Depending on the weather, a similar amount of repair work is expected in February.

They kindly ask everyone to drive with increased attention and caution during the winter season.

Source and photo credit: debrecen.hu