Patrol For Potholes
Have you got it in for potholes? Is it a personal vendetta, avenging the damage they’ve done to your vehicle?
Report those injurious potholes to the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration.
With saturated ground from record-setting precipitation from 2018 and continuing into 2019 — plus the freeze/thaw cycle of this transitional time of the year — potholes are popping up everywhere. DOT crews need you to guide their mobile repair patrols.
Potholes form when moisture seeps into a pavement crack and freezes then thaws during warmer temperatures. This stresses the pavement. Under the weight of traffic, the cracks grow into holes.
This time of year, crews are making temporary repairs with cold-patch asphalt. When temperatures stay above 50 degrees, crews can switch to more permanent hot-mix asphalt, which is applied at a higher temperature and seals the ruptures.
Report potholes at www.roads.maryland.gov; click contact us.
In fiscal year 2018, state highway crews patched some 25,000 square yards of potholes at an average cost of $95 per pothole for a grand cost of $3.1 million.