VDOT wants your help identifying potholes on state roads
Virginia Department of Transportation officials are encouraging local residents to report potholes they spot on state roads.
Motorists can use VDOT’s web-based form to report potholes and other road problems at my.vdot.virginia.gov or by calling 1-800-367-7623 (1-800-FOR-ROAD) 24 hours a day to reach VDOT’s Customer Service Center to report road hazards or ask questions.
VDOT crews are actively working to locate and repair potholes during the time of year when more cracks and crumbles begin appearing on roads.
“We know you see them and don’t like them, and we don’t like them either,” said VDOT’s Chief of Maintenance and Operations Kevin Gregg. “Motorists can help ensure that potholes are identified and repaired as quickly as possible by reporting them through our Customer Service Center. We ask travelers to please keep a lookout for our crews as they work to repair the roadway.”
Potholes can form year-round, but after freezing temperatures, heavy snow and rain — like what Virginia has seen so far this winter season — more can be expected. Potholes form when moisture seeps into pavement, freezes, expands and thaws. That cycle weakens the pavement, which is exacerbated by the weight of traffic loosening the pavement.
When a pothole is reported to VDOT, it is communicated to local crews. Repairs are scheduled in accordance with the location, traffic volume, impact on traffic and severity of the pothole.
Crews then inspect the issue, determine the appropriate action and timeline for resolution, then schedule repairs based on available resources. VDOT officials can temporarily fix potholes in winter with cold patches but cannot make permanent repairs until temperatures warm up.
VDOT repairs potholes on state-maintained roads only, which include interstate highways and primary and secondary roads that carry route numbers.
Henrico County maintains its own roads, but the county also has a number of state-maintained roads (such as West Broad Street/Route 250, Patterson Avenue/Route 6, Staples Mill Road/Route 33 and others).
To report potholes on roads in Henrico that do not carry a route number, email the Henrico Public Works Department at dpwroads@henrico.gov or call (804) 727-8300 (for potholes in Western Henrico) or (804) 652-3975 (for potholes in Eastern Henrico).
