Arkansas highway officials are racing to fix the large number of potholes that formed from the extreme weather earlier this month.
In a release yesterday, the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) said crews and contractors are “…utilizing all available resources to repair potholes statewide that have formed in the aftermath of the recent winter storm.”
Potholes form when wet ground goes through periods of freezing and thawing, causing the pavement layers to crack and break down under traffic.
The severe winter storm that covered Arkansas in the first half of January cost ARDOT approximately $8-10 million in labor and materials – including salt, salt brine, equipment, and working hours – used to fight the storm.
ARDOT is placing priority on repairing large potholes in work zones on Interstate 30 in Saline County and Highway 67/167 in Jacksonville, but due to an extended period of rain in the forecast, repairs are expected to take longer as crews wait for the pavement to dry. Until repairs can be facilitated, the department is asking drivers to drive slowly and with extreme caution in these areas. ARDOT said it is working with the contractors in those work zones to repair the damaged areas as quickly as possible.
“With the period of extreme cold we experienced, now followed by a period of extreme rain, we are left vulnerable to prime pothole conditions,” said Steve Frisbee, ARDOT’s assistant chief engineer of maintenance. “We are all frustrated by them, and we all want them fixed. Please be patient as our crews and our contractors work diligently to repair our roads in the wake of this storm.”
Yesterday, Little Rock meteorologist Todd Yakoubian shared a video on his Facebook page showing a line of over 20 vehicles with apparent vehicle issues due to potholes on the Interstate 30 shoulder between Benton and the Hot Springs exit.
To report a pothole on Arkansas roads, click here. To view current road conditions, click here.
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