With the warmer temperatures forecast for the northwest region, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) plans to concentrate on pothole repairs throughout the network of more than 3,600 miles of state-owned roadways in Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango, and Warren counties.
“It has been harsh winter in the northwest region. The combination of wet weather, like rain and melted ice and snow, and the quick fluctuating temperature swings above and well below freezing, and the depth of the frost have caused a high number of potholes to form throughout this corner of the state,” said Aaron Fox, Assistant District Executive – Maintenance. “Our crews have done their best to address issues as weather allowed, and the warmer temperatures this week should give us a chance to get more of that work complete.”
Potholes often form during the winter months due to temperatures fluctuating between freezing and mild, known as a rapid freeze-thaw cycle.
During warmer weather, precipitation melts and seeps into the gaps between the pavement and the ground below. As temperatures drop, the water freezes and expands, pushing up the pavement. As vehicles repeatedly drive over it, the weakened pavement cracks and collapses into the hollow spaces, forming potholes.
“Our crews who complete pothole repairs are the same employees who operate our plow trucks in two shifts during winter months,” Fox said. “We are asking drivers to be on the lookout for temporary work areas, as we move throughout the region making repairs from approximately 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM each day.”
Drivers may encounter lane restrictions controlled by flaggers and other temporary traffic impacts in connection with pothole repair operations. Motorists are reminded to slow down in work zones and refrain from distracted driving to keep themselves and our workers safe.
Crews will be patching potholes until all areas are addressed. All activities are weather dependent. To learn more about patching methods and other maintenance procedures, please see the PennDOT Maintenance Activities webpage.
Roadway concerns, such as potholes, can be reported to PennDOT’s Customer Care Center by calling 1-800-FIX-ROAD or visiting www.customercare.penndot.pa.gov.
Motorists can check conditions on major roadways 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 1,000 traffic cameras.
511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.
Subscribe to PennDOT news and traffic alerts in Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango, and Warren counties at www.penndot.pa.gov/District1.
Information about infrastructure in District 1, including completed work and significant projects, is available at www.penndot.pa.gov/D1Results. Find PennDOT’s planned and active construction projects at www.projects.penndot.gov.
Find PennDOT news for the northwest region on X or Facebook.
MEDIA CONTACT: Jill Harry, 814-678-5035 or jharry@pa.gov
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