This is the worst pothole season PennDOT has seen in 20 years, an officials says, and the transportation agency is providing numbers to back that claim.
In a news release issued this week, PennDOT Secretary Leslie Richards said the department used more than 9,627 tons of asphalt through February to patch and repair potholes. That’s in comparison to 6,133 tons used last year and 3,607 tons in 2016.
Richards said the amount of asphalt used so far this year is equivalent to 627 PennDOT dump trucks. So far, nearly $7.2 million has been invested by the agency statewide solely for pothole repairs.
If that seems like a huge sum of money, Richards said it’s important to remember that PennDOT is responsible for nearly 40,000 miles of roadway across the state. In addition, she said nearly 6,000 potholes have been reported to the agency as needing urgent repairs.
Richards said the problem, which was echoed last month by a local PennDOT official, is that crews can’t keep up with the pothole problem because of drastic fluctuations in weather patterns this winter.
“Potholes can form literally overnight, and that’s what we’re seeing with these temperature swings,” Richards said. “This year, we are seeing more concerns than usual, and our crews are working aggressively to make repairs whenever weather permits.”
Despite the uphill battle faced by PennDOT crews, Richards said more than 90 percent of potholes called in by motorists have been filled.
She added that crews are “vigorously” working to repair potholes and are focusing on more heavily traveled roads before concentrating on secondary roads.
Richards noted that recent pothole repairs are only temporary. That’s because the “hot patch” needed to permanently repair the roads won’t be available until next month at the earliest.
PennDOT is urging drivers to report potholes and other maintenance concerns by calling a free hotline at 1-800-FIX-ROAD.