Governor's "Pothole Blitz" Underway

By Alice Kemp, Capital News Service Sunday, March 13, 2011

RICHMOND – Driving over potholes isn’t just tiresome – it’s a pain in the asphalt. So Gov. Bob McDonnell wants your help in fixing the thousands of potholes caused by harsh winter weather.

The Virginia Department of Transportation has launched its second annual “pothole blitz” to smooth over the 58,000 miles of state-maintained roadways, McDonnell announced this week.

The governor asked citizens to report potholes to VDOT’s Customer Service Center at 1-800-367-7623 or by clicking on the VDOT website. The agency then will dispatch road crews to make repairs.

“Potholes aren’t just bumps in the road, they are serious roadway hazards,” McDonnell said in a press release. “The goal is to improve everyone’s safety and comfort as they travel the highways of Virginia.”

Repairs will be prioritized based on the location and severity of the potholes. A dangerous pothole on a highly traveled road could be repaired within 24 hours. Most potholes will be repaired within four days of being reported, state officials said. During last year’s “pothole blitz,” VDOT fixed more than 161,000 potholes.

Potholes form when moisture soaks into pavement, freezes, expands and then thaws. Also, the weight of traffic loosens the already weak pavement and causes it to crumble.

Especially harsh winters with a lot of heavy snow, freezing rain and several freeze-thaw cycles can result in a bumper crop of potholes. They can open up faster than work crews can fix them.

Some roads may require more extensive repairs. In such cases, crews will temporarily patch the potholes and schedule a full reconstruction later.