Peeved by potholes? PennDOT wants to know

Posted by ChaddsFordLive on March 23, 2016

As sure a sign of spring as the emerging daffodils are the potholes opening up on area roadways.

PennDOT issued a press release on Wednesday, March 23, to remind motorists that they can report potholes and other roadway concerns on state roads by calling 1-800-FIX-ROAD or visiting www.penndot.gov and clicking on “Submit Roadway Feedback.”

“Late winter and early spring are the peak times for potholes to develop, and PennDOT crews continue to work aggressively to repair potholes in the region,” PennDOT District Executive Kenneth M. McClain said in the release. “We encourage citizens to report pothole locations so our crews can repair them as quickly as possible.”

Weather permitting, PennDOT is working daily to repair potholes on state highways throughout the five-county Philadelphia region. Crews have placed nearly 3,000 tons of patching material on state roads in the region since Dec. 1, the release said.

A pothole develops when water seeps below the road through small cracks in the pavement surface. As the water repeatedly freezes and thaws due to temperature fluctuations, a cavity forms below the surface and larger cracks develop, which destroys the strength of the pavement.

Citizens are asked to be as specific as possible when reporting pothole locations or other maintenance concerns on state routes such as deer removal or signing issues, referencing the county, municipality, street name and route number. Citizens should also provide a description of any familiar landmarks that will help PennDOT locate the problem area.

Once notified, PennDOT will work to address roadway concerns as weather permits, the release said.

The 1-800-FIX-ROAD number should not be used to report traffic accidents, disabled vehicles, or other emergencies. Motorists should continue to call 911 to report those types of incidents.

Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 770 traffic cameras. It is also available through an app for iPhone and Android devices or by calling 5-1-1.

To learn about how potholes form and how PennDOT addresses them, view the department’s “Pothole Patrol” video on its YouTube page.