(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Following the recent polar vortex and significant snowfall, potholes are starting to appear in noticeably large numbers.
Illinois Department of Transportation crews are now switching from snow removal to road repair.
"You can expect pothole crews out there now, in fact we're out there today," IDOT spokeswoman Maria Castaneda said Wednesday. "Pretty much any time that we're not out there plowing, then we're going to be hitting these potholes and repairing them because we want to take care of them as soon as possible."
Crews will typically be out during non-peak traffic hours of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and IDOT reminds drivers to give them space to work.
"Treat those pothole repair crews the same as you would any construction crews. Give them a little extra room to work and be a little bit more patient," Castaneda said.
Potholes form when melting snow and ice seep into cracks in the pavement.
"It freezes and expands and when that ice melts, it leaves a cavity. So when traffic drives over it, it causes that pavement to breakdown and create that pothole," Castaneda said.
State highway users can report potholes at idot.illinois.gov or by calling 1-800-452-4368.
