TOLEDO, Ohio — Don't look now but pothole season has crept up on us once again.
Unfortunately, potholes are part of the natural road life cycle. As roads get used over time, they begin to show wear and tear in the form of potholes.
Taking a look at how potholes are formed, the process begins as snow melts due to rising temperatures. The moisture gets absorbed into the concrete.
Once the temperatures drop again, the water will freeze and expand, creating cracks and damage, shortening the road's lifecycle.
"It actually gets into the layers of concrete," said Kelsie Hoagland, spokesperson for the Ohio Department of Transportation. "We have a lot of different layers of pavement that come in to play and there's a surface layer, which is kind of breathable, so the water can saturate into those different layers and as it gets deeper and deeper that's what we're seeing actually caused this uprooting of the pavement."
It is difficult to repair potholes without causing disruptions in traffic, Hoagland said.
"In some of these areas we have such high traffic volumes, so it's very difficult to take out a lane during the day," she said.
ODOT tries to schedule repairs during low-traffic times, including at night, she said.
Crews working now can make temporary fixes to potholes, but will have to return in the spring and summer to do full repairs, Hoagland said.
With more winter weather expected for the following months, roads will remain impacted until winter has ended and spring arrives.
How potholes form
More on WTOL: