ARDOT Reports Numerous Potholes Due to Harsh Winter Weather

The Arkansas Department of Transportation says the state's highways have taken a beating due to the recent weather.

According to a release from the department, officials report the severe winter storm has cost ARDOT approximately $8-10 million in labor and materials to fight the storms and now will be spending time repairing potholes that formed due to the freezing then thawing of the ground. 

Officials say one complication is the continuing rainfall forecast for the region which may delay repairs of some of the potholes. Officials in the release say the department will be focusing their first efforts on heavy construction areas in the state including in Saline County and around Jacksonville. 

Drivers are urged to use caution in driving over the next few weeks as road crews repair the highways around the state.

The complete release from ARDOT including a link to report potholes is below:

Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) crews and contractors are utilizing all available resources to repair potholes statewide that have formed in the aftermath of the recent winter storm.

The state was hit by a severe winter storm that cost ARDOT approximately $8-10 million in labor and materials – including salt, salt brine, equipment, and working hours – used to fight the storm.

Now the focus turns to repairing the roads, particularly the potholes that have formed due to freezing and thawing of the ground.

ARDOT is placing priority on repairing large potholes in work zones on Interstate 30 in Saline County and Highway 67/167 in Jacksonville. The Department is working with the contractors in those work zones to repair the damaged areas as quickly as possible.

Due to an extended period of rain in the forecast, repairs are expected to take longer as crews wait for the pavement to dry out.

Until repairs can be facilitated, please drive slow and with extreme caution in these areas and know crews will be making repairs as soon as they possibly can.

Potholes form when wet ground goes through periods of freezing and thawing, causing the pavement layers to crack and breakdown under traffic.

“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.”

To report a pothole, click here.

To view current road conditions, click here.