Pothole Repair Season Begins For MoDOT

The Missouri Department of Transportation says crews are focusing on pothole repairs as weather allows.

Potholes form when temperatures warm up during the day but continue to be cold at night. The rain and snow leave moisture that seeps into cracks and joints in the pavement. Frozen water in cracks and under the surface of the roadway causes pavement to bulge and bend. Then when ice melts, the pavement contracts and leaves gaps or voids in the surface under the pavement. When vehicles drive over the bulging pavement, it weakens the roadway, eventually causing chunks of pavement or asphalt to pop out, creating potholes.

MoDOT maintains 34,000 miles of road, including interstates, U.S. and Missouri routes, and lettered routes. In 2022, MoDOT patched more than 800,000 potholes, spending more than $16 million on pothole patching.

Motorists can report the location of potholes on state-maintained roads by call the 24/7 Customer Service Center at 1-888-ASK-MODOT or using the Report a Road Concern feature on the department’s website at www.modot.org.

Potholes on local streets and subdivisions should be reported to local city or county maintenance departments.