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IMMEDIATE Tamara Neale 804-786-6458

CO-09 Feb. 20, 2004

VDOT ON POTHOLE PATROL ACROSS THE STATE

RICHMOND - It’s that time of the year when the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is repairing potholes that snow and ice storms have left behind.

A survey of statewide road conditions is under way and temporary repairs are being made to potholes on interstates, primaries and major secondary routes. Once temperatures rise to a consistent 50-plus degrees, sometime in March, crews will make permanent repairs using hot asphalt.

Potholes form when moisture seeps into pavement, freezes, expands and thaws. This cycle weakens the pavement. The weight of traffic loosens the pavement, and, over time, the pavement begins to crumble and fail. A winter of heavy snow or rain and several freeze thaw cycles can mean a big pothole season ahead.

“We will know the extent of potholes and pavement damage once the winter season is over,” said VDOT Commissioner Philip Shucet. “In the meantime, VDOT crews will continue to work diligently to make temporary repairs until the weather is warm enough to make permanent repairs.”

Potholes on interstate highways usually are repaired within 24 hours. Potholes on most other heavily traveled roads usually are repaired within 48 hours. Maintenance crews are constantly on the lookout for potholes and welcome citizen calls about potholes.

Citizens can complete a Pothole Reporting Form on VDOT’s website at or call the Highway Helpline at 1-800-367-ROAD. VDOT repairs potholes on state-maintained roads only, which include interstate highways and most primary and secondary roads. Local governments are responsible for repairing potholes on streets in cities and towns as well as on roadways in Henrico and Arlington counties.

Following the 2002-03 winter season, VDOT conducted a “pothole blitz” to address the significant number of potholes created by the severe winter. For a two-week period beginning March 6, 2003, an all-out assault to temporarily repair potholes took place. Approximately 95,000 potholes were temporarily patched on the estimated 57,000 miles of roadways maintained by the state until major repaving could take place last spring. The work involved almost 2,600 VDOT employees and more than 400 contract workers working around-the-clock, in some instances.

Helpful links:

Pothole reporting form

Pothole FAQ’s

Page last modified: Tuesday, February 24, 2004