How To Report Potholes In Charlotte, Mecklenburg County Roads

CHARLOTTE, NC — Is there a teeth-rattling, car-damaging pothole on your route to work or school that road crews should know about? The combination of snow, ice, rain and cold has created a new crop of potholes on streets and highways.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation says its maintenance crews first priority is to patch potholes that are safety concerns. With saturated grounds from record-setting precipitation in 2018 and continuing into 2019, and the freeze/thaw cycle that is occurring during this transitional time of the year has potholes popping up everywhere.

On the road, remain aware of possible potholes, slow down and increase following distance to safely steer around hazards, says AAA. If you drive over a pothole, check your tires for blisters or other damage. If you have aluminum or custom wheels, check them for cracks.

And your mechanic should check your steering, suspension, tires and alignment to prevent uneven tire wear or other problems.

Have you seen any potholes in Mecklenburg County? Tell us where in the comments!

To report a pothole in Charlotte, fill out the form on the city’s Pothole Repair website. Street maintenance officials ask that you include a house number or block range in the location comments, along with any information that could help repair crews find it quickly.

To report potholes on an Mecklenburg County or other state roads, notify NCDOT directly through an online form.

To minimize vehicle damage from potholes, AAA Mid-Atlantic offers these tips:

• Inspect Tires – Make sure tires are properly inflated and have a healthy tread.
• Look ahead – Make a point of scanning the road ahead for potholes. An alert driver is more likely to have time to avoid a pothole so limit distractions.
• Slow Down – If a pothole cannot be avoided, reduce speed safely without abrupt braking.
• Beware of Puddles – Puddles often disguise deep potholes.
• Recognize Noises/Vibrations – A hard pothole impact can dislodge wheel weights, damage the tire or wheel and even break suspension components. Any unusual noises after driving through a pothole should be inspected immediately.
• Where's the Spare – New car owners beware, a quick fix for a blown-out tire may be no more, as many newer cars do not have spare tires.
• Big Hole, Big Expense – Hitting a large pothole usually results in, not only replacing a tire, but also the need for wheel alignment and possible steering linkage damage, causing a bit hit to drivers' wallets.

What Causes a Pothole?
Street pavement cracks and breaks because of water and traffic. Water can get under the pavement through cracks or from the side of the road. Over time, the water can cause the material under the pavement to erode, causing the pavement to sink down and break.

During the winter, the water under the pavement can freeze and expand, and then thaws and contracts. This freeze/thaw cycle can cause the pavement to crack so that it deteriorates quickly under the weight of traffic, and then streets can seem to break out in potholes overnight.

Traffic that is too heavy for the pavement's design can result in cracks. Large volumes of traffic or heavy trucks and buses using a street not designed for this load can cause the pavement to crack and break apart.

How Are Potholes Repaired?
During cold weather, permanent patching cannot occur. Temporary patching is done using cold mix asphalt in the most harsh of winter months and then can be scheduled for permanent patching later in the year, the county says.

Permanent patching is used where a long lasting repair is required. Often times, the road surface must be cut away, the road base replaced, and new hot mix asphalt installed. The preferred months to perform permanent patching activities are from April to November.

Patch Editor Deb Belt contributed.