KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Warmer weather is bringing with it some rough riding for drivers this time of year. As a result, Missouri’s pothole patrol is hitting the roads.
Along Bannister Road, Missouri Department of Transportation crews are busy Monday patching potholes.
The warmest weather so far this year, following our bitter cold winter, is taking a toll on pavement around the metro area.
MoDOT says it’s committed to repairing all potholes within 24 hours after anyone reports them.
Crews are patching potholes to keep roadways smooth and safe for drivers.
This is the launch of an enhanced pothole repair program for state crews. For the remainder of the month of March, the pothole patrols are going to be working with asphalt every day to fill up holes that often are jarring and dangerous for drivers.
MoDOT says its goal is to patch and smooth over the ruts before drivers travel over the same spot the next day.
“We’re just looking for holes in the pavement now,” said Chris Redline, MoDOT Assistant District Engineer. “We’ve filled in quite a few little spots over there. Those little potholes grow to be big ones so it’s good we hit them while they are small.”
Rain and melting snow seep into cracks in the pavement as conditions thaw. When it’s cold, the water freezes expanding the pavement, causing a bulge on the roadway surface. Vehicles driving over the bulge further weaken it, and cause chunks of pavement to break loose. Potholes often pop up when it warms up during the day, but continues to be cold at night.
There are several ways you can report potholes you know about on Missouri highways and roads.
You can use the phone, website and social media. MoDOT even has a smartphone friendly form.
The options outlined below allow anyone to report a pothole.
To report a pothole on a Missouri highway or state road, choose one of the following options:
Call 1-888-ASK-MODOT 24/7 Customer Service hotline
Road Concern form on website: http://www.modot.org
Smartphone/Tablet friendly form at: modot.org/roadconcern
Email: comments@modot.mo.gov
Social Media: facebook.com/MoDotKansasCity or Twitter @MoDOT_KC
