MoDOT road crews on pothole patrol after recent changes in weather

ST. LOUIS – Buckle up and prepare for a bumpy ride. This may be one of the most dangerous driving days of the year in St. Louis. Potholes are popping up everywhere.

One woman reports frame damage to her car from hitting a pothole in the City of St. Louis. Olive Boulevard east of Interstate 270 was one of the worst stretches Thursday, along with northbound I-270 near 40/64. Seams from past road work are crumbling there. 

Potholes form from the bottom up. Last month’s deep freeze, followed by this month’s warm up, left cracks and gaps in the pavement. Water gets in and traffic pops out the loose asphalt or concrete. 

MoDOT has road crews out to patch the worst spots.

“It’s not a permanent fix. We just get some a material in on a wet day like this to hold until we get past the emergency. Then we’ll come back around. Tomorrow, especially, will be a big day (with drier weather),” said MODOT District Maintenance Engineer Bob Becker.    

Drier weather allows for a more permanent fix, he said.   

Becker called on drivers to give repair crews room to safely do their jobs.

Go slow when you see those MoDOT trucks.    

“We’ve had some hit this year which makes it even more dangerous for our folks out there. They’re physically getting out of the trucks and working in those lanes trying to get those potholes patched,” Becker said. “Slow down if you see our trucks working. There are people out there. They all have to be on foot when they’re trying to fill a pothole. We want the public to be safe. We want our people to be safe.” 

Highway departments have crews out scouting for potholes but they can’t find them all. They need your help. You can report them when you see them to MoDOT (888-ASK-MODOT), IDOT, or your city/county street department.  

MoDOT reports more than 760,000 pothole repairs statewide last year, at a cost of more than $18 million.