Pothole complaints on the rise in Pa.; drivers unlikely to be reimbursed for damages, PennDOT says

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.
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"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.
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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.