This Pothole Season Among Worst Ever Across Philly Region
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The cycle of freezing and thawing, mixed with rain, snow and ice have dimpled and fractured the roads, causing one of the worst pothole seasons in the Philadelphia region.
"They are extremely frustrating," said one driver. "I would say anytime I drive in the city, I am trying to swerve and avoid a pothole."
"It's a lot worse in Pennsylvania than when you cross over into Jersey," said another. "It's pretty clear when you cross over into the border."
Potholes are more than a nuisance. They can cause costly damage to your car. PennDOT Spokesman Brad Rudolph says crews are doing what they can to fix streets.
"We try to turn those around in a few days," he said, "but given that we are seeing a lot of cycling temperatures, we will likely see probably a large outbreak this year of potholes.
Rudolph says during the cold snap, crews can only fill the craters with a temporary gravel mix, but they have to wait for warmer weather to properly repair roads.
"Our crews are out there when they can," he said, "and they are also dealing with services as far as snow is concerned, so they have been rather busy."
Rudolph says PennDOT relies on the public to point out the worse spots.
"We ask them to call 1-800-FIX-ROAD, and what they will do is route people to our county office, and they can let our county maintainance know where they have seen a pothole."
Drivers can also report potholes online.