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State resumes battle with potholes as winter weather recedes

Karl Malgiero/Delaware Public Media
DelDOT crews patch potholes in March 2015.

With more moderate temperatures in the forecast, Delaware drivers are taking stock of their roads and their tires.

AAA Mid-Atlantic says they've had about 1,500 tire-related calls in Delaware so far this year -- many due to potholes. It's almost the same as in the same period last year, though that winter was much more severe.

DelDOT spokesman Jim Westhoff says Delaware tries to prioritize pothole repairs in the riskiest areas. 

"For example, if we have a pothole that's dangerous, on a heavily traveled road, that's going to be the first priority, because if people are swerving to avoid this pothole, that's a safety issue and we've got to fix that right away," he says. "But if it's the edge of a county road somewhere that's crumbling, that probably doesn't have the higher priority."

 

They spend about $4 million on the issue every year. But Westhoff says the melt-refreeze cycle has been gentler on the roads this year than last. And plowing and salting haven't taken too rough a toll on highways yet.

 

Still, he encourages residents to report potholes online or on the DelDOT app when they encounter one. Crews try to take care of the issue within 24 hours, and Westhoff thinks they do a good job:

"One reason why we have fewer potholes than other states is because we have an aggressive program of rehabilitating roads, where after so many years pass, we automatically re-pave a road," he says. "And that keeps our roads in good condition and prevents potholes from occurring."

In Pennsylvania, AAA Mid-Atlantic has had almost 10,000 tire-related calls so far this year -- but they say that's largely due to population differences.

They say a survey shows that middle- and low-income drivers are most worried about blowing a tire on a pothole. Nationwide, potholes cause about $3 billion in auto damage every year.

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