PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — PennDOT crews are shifting gears from battling winter storms to filling hundreds of potholes that have popped up across the region.
“We expect a very severe outbreak of potholes this year due to the temperature fluctuations, a lot of moisture,” explained PennDOT Deputy Communications Director Brad Rudolph. He said conditions are right for a bumper crop of potholes.
“Our crews are hustling around to fill potholes, especially on some of the higher-volume roadways like the interstates,” he continued. “When we get nice weather and things thaw out, we get out there.”
Rudolph said it has been a challenge with back-to-back winter storms this month.
“I know the potholes are going to be rather large this year,” he said. “We’re going to get to them. We’re going to try to turn them around and get them repaired as quickly as possible. We ask for patience.”
NBC 10 First Alert meteorologist Steve Sosna said there’s no doubt the series of February storms played a big part in the proliferation of potholes.
“The roads almost become accustomed to that cold weather,” he explained. “So now we’re going into this cycle of cold at night, warm during the day. It’s what we call the freeze-thaw cycle.”
Sosna said melting snow trickles below the road surface during the day, then freezes at night. That continuous cycle can create cracks in the concrete or blacktop and form potholes.
Other factors, like snow-filled potholes, have contributed to the problem.
“You’re filling them with salt, you’re plowing them,” Sosna said. “You’re getting the ice, the snow, the beatdown of the traffic. You couldn’t ask for anything worse. No wonder they’re getting all these potholes, and that’s not going to stop anytime soon.”
With rain expected this weekend and in the coming weeks, small holes will fill up with water and freeze, which only makes potholes even bigger.
“These things are like whack-a-mole,” he said. “Each one, you whack it and all of a sudden a new one pops up. So just be on alert, all the way through spring, for these.”
PennDOT is asking drivers to help track down potholes by calling them in at 1-800-FIX-ROAD. Rudolph said to be as specific as possible by including identifying markers like the route and surrounding landmarks.