Pothole season is here

Some things are synonymous with winter. Snowflakes, freezing temperatures, icy roads, skiing and the holiday season are just a few.

For drivers, besides the obvious hazards posed by the slippery season, there is another phenomenon of winter that can incapacitate a vehicle in an instant: those annoying potholes.

"Potholes are unfortunately inevitable in winter weather states, and the only thing you can do is reactively patch them up," said Kevin Nursick, a spokesman for the state Department of Transportation. "You don't see the signs in many cases that a pothole is going to appear."

Potholes form when water seeps into cracks of a road's surface and then freezes. "When water freezes it expands and pushes things around," he said.

Pressure from the expanding water also softens the crack, making it easier for chunks of the asphalt to break off when cars and trucks drive over the fissures.

Nursick said the DOT has seen a typical number of potholes so far this year, compared to past years. However, some area public works officials say they have seen a larger crop of potholes this winter, the result of several freeze-thaw-freeze cycles over the last several months.

Ray Chrzanowski, assistant director of public works in Shelton, said a recent stretch of below-zero temperatures, followed by last week's warmer weather, triggered an eruption of potholes in that city.

"We fill them on a regular basis. We address them as they come," Chrzanowski said. While potholes have broken open on main roads like Beardsley and Booth Hill roads, they seem to be more prevalent on side streets, he said.

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