Warmup could mean bumpy roads as crews struggle to keep up with potholes

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Warmup could mean bumpy roads as crews struggle to keep up with potholes

Tom Davidson | Saturday, February 22, 2025 5:01 a.m.

Joyce Hanz | TribLive

Potholes in the Pittsburgh Mills mall parking lot, shown in late December 2024. Shoppers and Frazer officials have been complaining for almost a year about potholes around the mall.

Get ready to dodge more potholes.

As temperatures are expected to surge from the mid-20s to above 50 degrees by Monday, it could create more potholes on roads, sidewalks, parking lots and other paved areas, experts say.

The freeze-thaw cycle isn’t a secret enemy of pavement, but this winter’s temperature swings have kept maintenance workers busy and brought the issue to mind with every bump in the road.

“It’s been a brutal winter in regards to potholes,” Lori Musto said.

She’s the assistant district executive for maintenance for PennDOT District 11, which includes Allegheny, Beaver and Lawrence counties.

“We have some out there now (potholes) that desperately need our attention,” Musto said. “We get out as soon as we possibly can.”

PennDOT works to address all reports of potholes, Musto said. Potholes can be reported at 1-800-FIX-ROAD or by using PennDOT’s website.

The fixes that are made now are temporary until repairs can be made in better weather, Musto said.

How to prevent potholes?

Preventing potholes from forming in the first place is the aim of much of the roadwork people see throughout the year: crack sealing, seal coating and applying tar-and-chip coatings are some of the ways crews make repairs so water can’t seep beneath the surface into pools that cause potholes, Musto said.

“It’s beyond that point now,” she said.

Doing that maintenance is what keeps Sarah Leech busy. She’s the owner of ASAP Asphalt Paving in Meadow Lands, Washington County.

Leech calls herself an “asphalt-kicking queen” and said she primarily repairs commercial parking lots and industrial properties.

“Anytime between April and October” is a good time to make repairs to avoid problems in winter, Leech said.

“Unfortunately, there’s nothing that’s going to help when it warms up next week.”

Look for a prolonged period of relative warmth next week, as temperatures could reach the 50s with lows in the mid-30s, according to the National Weather Service forecast.

“Most of the week should be on the warmer side,” meteorologist Mathew Kramar said.

Details

Who cares for your street?
Residents who want to know what government entity is responsible for maintaining a particular road can access various online tools depending on where the road is located.
Allegheny County's public works department has developed a map that can be searched by address to indicate on a color-coded map whether a road is owned by the state (blue), county (yellow or green) or local municipality (pink). Visit alleghenycounty.us/Projects-and-Initiatives/Public-Works for a link to the map.Searching addresses on that map for other counties, including Westmoreland and Armstrong, will at least show whether a road is state-owned (blue) or not.Westmoreland County's public works department maintains a map that shows county-owned roads in green and state roads in gray, but it is not searchable. Visit westmorelandcountypa.gov/102/Roads-Bridges for a link to that map.

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