Pothole complaints on the rise in Pa.; drivers unlikely to be reimbursed for damages, PennDOT says
In January, PennDOT received 1,052 complaints about potholes in the Philadelphia area.
MALVERN, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Thanks to wet weather and temperature fluctuations in January, potholes across Pennsylvania are becoming a major problem that will likely get worse in the coming weeks.
"Oh, they're bad," noted Tom Taggart Jr., who drives a school bus for Phoenixville schools.
He tries to dodge the potholes on his route, even if the kids don't want him to.
"They love it. They want me to hit the potholes. I can't be doing this because it will wreck the bus," he said.
On Monday, Action News shared a video of huge potholes that opened up on US-422, damaging several cars.
When asked about possible reimbursement for those drivers, PennDOT District 6 Spokesman Brad Rudolph said drivers can file a complaint, but getting money is unlikely.
"Generally no. It's a natural occurrence is what it's considered and generally PennDOT's not liable for that," Rudolph said.
However, complaints are piling up. In January, PennDOT received 1,052 complaints about potholes in the Philadelphia area. That is a large number that indicates more problems ahead.
"I expect it to be a very active year," Rudolph said. "With the amount of moisture and the amount of back-and-forth temperatures, and it's not even February yet."
PennDOT had repair crews out on Wednesday and will continue with repairs between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. while the weather permits.
