JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – As if the recent bouts of rain, ice and extreme cold weren’t bad enough, now motorists and the Missouri Department of Transportation are battling another roadway issue: potholes.
A significant amount of rainfall in the past few days, coupled with freezing rain and big temperature swings, have caused potholes to pop up in numbers on Missouri highways. MoDOT crews in central Missouri are working to fill the trouble spots as quickly as possible, but continuing wet weather is slowing the process.
“We know the potholes are popping up everywhere, and we’re working to address them as quickly as we can,” said MoDOT Central District Engineer David Silvester. “We’re hoping to gain some ground as soon as the weather dries out. We can’t fill potholes that have water in them because the repair just won’t hold.”
Silvester said crews will address the worst and deepest potholes first and then will move to more minor potholes. Workers will make repairs with a temporary asphalt mix until the weather warms up and stays warm, and they are able to make more permanent fixes with hot-mix asphalt.
As a result, drivers should be on the watch for short-term lane closings and crews and equipment filling potholes across mid-Missouri.
“We ask for motorists to be especially watchful for our crews in wet weather, as it takes longer for a vehicle to stop on wet pavement,” Silvester said.
Potholes form when temperatures warm up during the day but continue to be cold at night. Moisture from winter rain, snow and ice seeps into the cracks and joints of the roadway. When the temperatures drop at night, that water freezes and expands the pavement, which causes it to crack and bulge. As cars and trucks drive over those cracks, the pressure causes chunks of pavement to pop out, and potholes are formed.
Drivers are urged to report potholes on the state highway system by calling MoDOT toll free at 1-888-275-6636 or by going to the MoDOT Central District website at www.modot.org/central and clicking on Report a Road Concern.
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