RALEIGH — The cold, wet winter we have experienced in central North Carolina means more potholes will be popping up over the coming months. N.C. Department of Transportation’s top priority is safety. That’s why NCDOT has its patching crews out in full force attacking potholes.
Because potholes can quickly form without warning, NCDOT urges motorists to pay special attention to the roadway and be on the lookout. Potholes are common during winter months when moisture seeps into cracks in the pavement, freezes, expands and then thaws. When the ice expands, it causes the cracks to widen and the asphalt layer to rise. Traffic then loosens the pavement, which eventually creates a pothole.
Motorists can also help the department by reporting potholes. If you see a pothole on a state-maintained road, report it to NCDOT at 1-877-368-4968, or online at www.ncdot.gov/contact. Click on “County Contacts” on the left of your screen and then choose the county. The email form will be sent to the local NCDOT office. To help our crews locate the pothole, be sure to provide as much information as possible about its location, including the city or county, road name, nearest intersection, which lane the pothole is in, and the approximate size of the pothole. If a pothole is in a work zone, the contractor will be notified and is responsible for fixing it. You should contact your local municipality to report a pothole on a road that is not maintained by NCDOT.
Potholes within travel lanes of major, high traffic routes will be first priority. Potholes on shoulders will be less of a priority, as will shallow ones.
Since most asphalt plants are not yet operating and “hot mix” asphalt is not widely available, crews will use “cold patch,” as well as spray patchers, to fix the holes as an interim treatment. “Cold patch” is a material that NCDOT uses for winter pothole response, and depending on various characteristics of the roadway, traffic, and the pothole can be a final repair, or may only be a temporary measure. When necessary, DOT crews will perform additional patch repairs with hot mix when it is available.
AAA offers the following tips when encountering a pothole:
• Avoid swerving. Swerving can cause loss of vehicle control;
• Slow down. Carefully avoid impact with potholes. If a pothole can’t be avoided slow down. Hitting a pothole at a high speed increases the chance of damage to the vehicle, and losing control;
• Roll through. Rolling through the pothole is better than braking rapidly;
• Properly inflate tires. Over-inflated and under-inflated tires increase risk of tire and wheel damage; and
• Avoid puddles that may conceal a deep pothole.