In January, State Highway Administration crews addressed potholes at the I-195 park and ride lot in the Catonsville area of Baltimore County. (Jacob Brown/SHA MDOT)
Each year, winter brings the usual presents of cold, ice and snow. All of those elements can wreak havoc on the roads for days on end. But they can also leave a more lasting nuisance – potholes.
The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration spends about $3 million annually patching to repair more than 30,000 potholes statewide. In the past, that process has come in two parts: Crews fill the potholes with a temporary, cold patch. Then they return to the area when temperatures rise above 50 degrees and add hot mix asphalt, for a more durable repair.
Now, SHA crews are equipped with the new Hot Box, a mobile piece of equipment that warms asphalt in the cold and acts as hot mix asphalt. This way, they are able to provide permanent repairs immediately instead of waiting for the weather to warm.
Potholes can form at any time, but they are more prevalent in the winter with the constant water freezes. Typically, the pothole cycle begins when water becomes trapped beneath the pavement surface. As vehicles drive over the saturated material, the unsupported surface layer collapses and becomes a pothole, which expands as traffic hits it.
To report a pothole on any SHA-maintained roadway, please click here.
At the beginning of the pothole repair process, crews remove the moisture with a blower before adding asphalt to the hole. (Jacob Brown/MDOT)
Shanteé Felix is a Media Relations Manager at the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration
