Pothole repair season is underway

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The semi-automated Pothole Killer trucks have become the fastest way to fill emerging potholes.

In Montgomery County, a PennDOT crew worked with one on Philmont Avenue Monday.

The key is getting the right mix of stone and oil.

"You put oil and stone, and then they put a dry coat on all that stone. A nice mixture will hopefully last for a while. Unfortunately the weather we are having, real hot and real cold, doesn't help us," said Yasseim Qawasmy of PennDOT.

Miles away in Hunting Park a one man crew working for the city filled a pothole on tiny Dell Street.

The goal was a patch that will outlast the surrounding road surface.

We are at the beginning of what some call pothole season. The thinking is generally it will get worse before it gets better.

"The last cold spell we had last week did havoc," said Steven Lorenz with the Philadelphia Streets Department. "When potholes appear we will fix them."

At a Firestone store on Bustleton Avenue over last several days, they have seen the first few victims of 2019 potholes. A gouged tire was one of them. The tire will have to be replaced. The good news is the expensive rim was not damaged.

Potholes can be tricky. A really bad one can damage a suspension system, mechanics say.

"It can be struts, tie rods, axels... all are quite costly to repair," said mechanic Dan Bassi.

Officials urge motorists who encounter a pothole in a roadway to make a report.

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