PennDOT Accelerates Pothole Repairs in Southeast Pa.

The pothole situation in the five-county Philadelphia region is bad, and PennDOT knows it. The agency has announced it will utilize general contractors under an emergency authorization to supplement state maintenance crews with the repair of pavement damage on state highways.

“The past two winters delivered extreme weather conditions that resulted in severe pavement damage and a substantially high number of potholes,” PennDOT Acting District Executive Christine Reilly said. “We are adding additional crews to our pavement repair operation so we can improve state highways faster and provide motorists with smoother road surfaces.”

Contractor crews will work the next several weeks to repair deteriorated pavements on nearly 100 state highways in the region. Starting April 20, crews will work Mondays through Saturdays, with operations taking place during daytime and overnight hours. The patching operation will result in traffic slowdowns as lane closures will be in effect where crews are working.

In addition, PennDOT maintenance crews in the region will continue to repair potholes aggressively, including patching state roads. State crews have placed 5,600 tons of patching material on state roads in the Philadelphia region since December 1, 2014, including 3,900 tons since March 9, 2015.

This year’s severe outbreak of potholes resulted from snow, ice and rain seeping into pavements and temperature swings above and below the freezing mark, PennDOT said in a statement.

Citizens can report potholes on state highways by calling 1-800-FIX-ROAD (1-800-349-7623) or visiting www.dot.state.pa.us and clicking on “Submit Feedback.”