Potholes Increase Due To Temperature Swings In The Metro

With the temperature swinging back and forth between winter and spring conditions, potholes are now popping up all over the metro.

Potholes form because moisture seeps into cracks in the pavement and then saturates the roadbed beneath. 

Changes in temperature then causes the water to expand and contract as it freezes and thaws.

This movement of the water over time causes the roadbed underneath the pavement to deteriorate, and eventually can create a void where pavement falls through, causing a pothole.

Cody Boyd with ODOT said the most dangerous places for potholes to form is on highways, but luckily, they haven't seen many.

"We definitely know that Oklahoma has a lot of pavement issues and a lot of older sections of pavement. What's good is that most of the interstate system has actually been reconstructed or rehabilitated in the last 20 years"

One of ODOT's goals is to improve how many miles of pavement are in good condition in 2022.

They have road monitoring crews in every county, but they also receive pothole information from law enforcement and the public.

Oklahoma has had a lot of freeze-thaw cycles this season so far, but ODOT says potholes haven't been too bad yet. They expect to be busy with pothole repairs heading into the summer.