As weather warms, potholes pop up across Delaware Valley

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The weather Wednesday may have been a beautiful change of pace, but for drivers across the Delaware Valley, the state of some roads is enough to sour even the sweetest of days.

"I literally did not see it. I just heard it and within three minutes my tire was popped," said Norristown resident Lea Fosco.

Fosco's tire paid the price on a doozy of a pothole near the Elmwood Park Zoo in Norristown.

"Flat as a pancake. Just got them last week," she pointed out in photos of the damage.

RELATED: How to report a pothole

On Wednesday, pothole patrol crews across the Delaware Valley spent hours hoping to spare other drivers from a similar fate.

Drivers along the Blue Route in Delaware County may have been left temporarily seeing red as county pothole spray patchers made short work of cracks and holes.

PennDOT foreman Al Bullins had a message to less than amicable drivers.

"You know slow down, save a life. You know where trying to save your lives out here," Bullins said.

To date, PennDOT has reported spending more than $500,000 on pothole repairs.

RELATED: Philadelphia has fixed more than 5,000 potholes, but more expected this winter

Action News spent time with a spray patcher team as they shut down a portion of a road. The work had to be done expeditiously, but also safely to ensure potholes don't cause any more problems.

Crews were also mindful to follow strict COVID-19 protection protocols.

"We got to do our job and sometimes it requires holding you up a bit," Bullins said.

But, it's not always machinery doing the heavy lifting.

Philadelphia Streets Department crews were in South Philadelphia shoveling and pouring hot asphalt.

"It's not even a minute to tamp the asphalt and to smooth it out into the roadway," said Chief Highways Engineer Stephen Lorenz.

Though the department does own its own large patcher, this way also works better for traffic.

Between both, the city has patched more than 6,000 of these yearly nuisances.

And unfortunately, after the deep freeze recently seen, workers said don't count on smooth sailing anytime soon.

"How many do you think you've done, just this morning?" asked reporter George Solis. "Let's see let me use my hands and toes. I couldn't tell you, too many," Bullins noted.