The Pothole Facts
Potholes are one of the most common - and most damaging - road problems in America. Here is a plain-language guide to what they are, why they form, and how they get fixed.
What a pothole is
A pothole is a structural failure in a paved road surface. It starts as a small crack and grows into a bowl-shaped hole as pieces of pavement break away under the weight of passing traffic.
Water is the main culprit
Potholes form when water works its way into the pavement through cracks and settles into the base beneath. Water weakens the material that holds the road together, and traffic does the rest.
The freeze-thaw cycle
In cold climates, water trapped under the pavement freezes and expands, pushing the surface up. When it thaws the pavement contracts and leaves a gap. Repeated freezing and thawing hollows out the base until the surface collapses - which is why potholes explode in late winter and early spring.
Where they cluster
Potholes appear first where water pools and where the pavement is already stressed: low spots, edges near drains, patched utility cuts, intersections, and railroad level crossings.
The damage they do
Hitting a pothole can bend wheels, blow tires, and throw a vehicle out of alignment or damage its suspension. For cyclists and motorcyclists a pothole is not just costly - it is a genuine safety hazard.
Temporary vs. permanent repair
A shovel of low-grade cold patch thrown into a wet hole rarely lasts. A permanent repair means clearing the loose material and filling with a quality mix that bonds and compacts. Polymer-modified cold asphalt can be applied in any season - even in standing water - and is ready for traffic right away.
Who is responsible
Responsibility for fixing a pothole falls on whoever owns the road: a city or county for local streets, a state department of transportation for highways, and the railroad for the pavement around its crossings.