PennDOT to repair potholes in Bucks County. Here's where crews working near you
Bucks County motorists tired of enduring expensive pothole-induced tire blowouts and costly wheel alignments may soon get some relief, as beginning next week, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation will start a pothole repair program that will address more than 60 state-managed roads and highways.
Ten of those roadways are in Bucks County:
Route 309, West Rockhill, Hilltown, Richland, and Springfield and Quakertown
Route 611 and ramps, Doylestown Borough and Plumstead and Bedminster
Bethlehem Pike, Hilltown
Yardley Morrisville/Taylorsville Road, Upper and Lower Makefield townships
Paletown Road, Richland
Thatcher Road, Haycock
Geigel Hill Road/Creamery Road/Fretz Valley Road, Tinicum and Bedminster
Wrightstown Road, Wrightstown and Upper Makefield
Aquatong Road, Solebury
Edgely Road/Woodbourne Road, Middletown
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The process will take about a week, weather permitting, said PennDOT spokesperson Robyn Briggs.
"Our crews are out there from mid-February through the summertime until we reach every pothole," Briggs said. "We get a lot of potholes in this region because of the weather we get and the freeze-thaw cycle. Water gets into cracks in the pavement and gets underneath it and freezes, which causes the cracks to expand.
"And when it thaws, the pavement caves a little bit, and when a car drives over the expansion, it causes potholes."
Briggs said it was nearly impossible to provide an accurate count of the number of potholes, and instead PennDOT measures pothole repair by the cost of the materials used.
"In 2021, PennDOT spent over $8 million filling potholes and used 22,000 tons of material," Briggs said. "Already this year, we have used 1,500 tons of material."
Middletown potholes: No quick-fix for pothole-filled road
Briggs knows that drivers are annoyed with the havoc that potholes cause, but asked for patience as PennDOT works through its repairs.
And to that that end, Briggs encouraged commuters and travelers to report any potholes they may encounter. To do so, they can either call 1-800-FIX-ROAD or visit www.penndot.gov and click on Submit Roadway Feedback.
State Sen. Steve Santarsiero has also established a "Pothole Reporter" link on his website, and Santarsiero spokesperson Beth Marshall said the office received more than 200 submissions.
Those submissions, Marshall said, go directly to PennDOT.
Motorists whose vehicles sustained pothole-related damage can also file an insurance claim against the commonwealth.
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"We know people get upset when they encounter a pothole and we share those concerns with them, but we do ask for their help in pinpointing potholes," Briggs said. "Once submitted, the report goes to our county managers who put it on the pothole list.
"Someone may report a pothole and want it done right away, but teams have to schedule repairs in a certain way in which they are going to the same area at once," Briggs added. "We ask the public to be patient. We might not get it done that week, but it is on the list and it will get done."
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: PennDOT will repair potholes on ten state roads in Bucks County, 60 statewide
