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PennDOT Crews, Motorists Dealing With Challenging Pothole Season

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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Motorists and PennDOT crews are dealing with a particularly bad season for potholes.

PennDOT admits potholes are a big problem this year. However, they do not have the hot patch material needed to fix them. As a result, crews are working 12-hour shifts to make temporary repairs.

"This is the worst that I've seen it in probably 20 years. Our guys really have a challenge out there to patch all of these things at this time. We're trying to do our best," PennDOT's Angelo Pampena said.

Public Works Director Mike Gable explained that they were using a cold patch mix, which is a temporary fix for the potholes.

"The crews are working off those, doing the routes, doing to the potholes and we do a lot of night turn. When they're not doing snow, we've been taking advantage of the weather. Last night, crews did a lot of pothole patching. It's pretty quiet and they can get a lot done without the impediment of traffic," Gable said.

Part of the problem is the recurring snow storms that have hit the area, which has created somewhat of a cyclical process. Crews fix the potholes, then it snows and potholes pop up in the same places.

However, PennDOT is working on a plan for the spring to make more permanent repairs.

PennDOT is in charge of the potholes on highways and state routes, while the city streets are the responsibility of the City of Pittsburgh.

Both agencies and Allegheny County have numbers for drivers to call to report potholes.

Here's how to report a pothole:

  • PennDOT – 1-800-FIX-ROADS
  • Allegheny County – (412)-350-INFO (4636)
  • City of Pittsburgh – 311

When reporting a pothole, officials are asking those reporting potholes to be as specific as possible.

Additionally, allow 24 to 48 hours for crews to repair the pothole.

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