Drivers asked to watch for crews on the road

JEFFERSON CITY – Due to an early start of wintry weather and a seemingly relentless assault of ice and snow, this year’s spring pothole season is in early bloom.

Missouri Department of Transportation crews are working as fast as they can to fix the pesky potholes, but continuing bouts of winter weather have hindered progress. Still, patching crews are on the move, and MoDOT officials are asking motorists to be on the lookout for slow-moving patching operations.

“Drivers might not be expecting slow-moving maintenance crews to be on the road at this time of year, so it’s even more important for them to be alert to our crews who are out fixing potholes,” said Chief Safety and Operations Officer and State Maintenance Engineer Becky Allmeroth. “It’s standard procedure to begin pothole repair in the spring, but due to this aggressive winter season, maintenance crews are already out repairing roads to keep them safe and smooth.”

Allmeroth asks drivers to slow down and move over a lane whenever possible to give crews room to work. As many as 300 pothole patching crews may be out working in the next few weeks to make state roadways safer.

“Please watch out for crews on the roadway and give them plenty of room,” Allmeroth said. “The work they are performing might save you costly vehicle repairs and could also potentially save lives.”

Potholes form when temperatures warm up during the day but drop below freezing overnight. The rain and snow from winter leave moisture that seeps into cracks and joints in the pavement. When temperatures drop, the water freezes and expands the pavement. This expansion causes the pavement to bulge and crack. When cars drive over the bulging pavement, it eventually causes chunks of pavement to pop out. MoDOT spends approximately $15 million a year on pothole patching, with the majority of that during the month of March.

Motorists can report the location of potholes on state-maintained roads using the following tools:

·         Call MoDOT’s 24/7 Customer Service Center at 1-888-ASK-MODOT (888-275-6636)

·         Use the Report a Road Concern form on the web at www.modot.org

·         Use a smartphone/tablet with a mobile-friendly form at www.modot.org/roadconcern

·         E-mail concerns to comments@modot.mo.gov