ODOT crews busy fillling potholes today

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

With the freeze-thaw cycle continuing, road crews who were busy patching potholes today likely will be switching back to snow and ice removal this morning, an Ohio Department of Transportation spokesman said.

“This week is the perfect example of the freeze-thaw cycle that causes potholes,” with temperatures below freezing early in the week and rising to the 60s on Thursday, observed Brent Kovacs, an ODOT public information officer.

Subfreezing temperatures prevailed again today after flooding from heavy rains closed some area roads Thursday.

Notable among the road closings due to flooding was state Route 46 between Salt Springs Road and McKees Lane in Niles, which reopened Friday morning.

“Freeze-thaw causes the vast majority of potholes,” Kovacs noted. “If we’re not plowing snow, we’re pothole patching,” he added.

ODOT had four trucks filling potholes in Mahoning County and three in Trumbull County today, he said.

Read more on the situation in Saturday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.