The student newspaper of Bucks County Community College

The Centurion

The student newspaper of Bucks County Community College

The Centurion

The student newspaper of Bucks County Community College

The Centurion

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Pothole Pandemic!

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This year’s disastrous winter is leading to more problems with potholes than the snow.
Drivers across Northeastern, PA counties are still recovering from all the snowfalls this year, but most of them are really feeling the wrath of the potholes left behind from the harsh weather.
According to AAA Mid-Atlantic, they have seen record-breaking tire-related requests for assistance in January and February, answering to over 67,000 across all Philadelphia counties.  They also said that it makes both months rank in their top three worst months in history.
Nicholas Sippel, 24, a Marketing major from Bensalem said, “I’ve already had to replace my struts and get one of my tires plugged due to the pothole fiasco.”  Sippel included that he already spent over $500 in repairs and possibly more because of this winter’s weather.
Potholes have been increasing across the counties because of the rapid change of weather occurring throughout the grueling winter season.
PennDOT says the potholes are forming due to the rain and snow seeping below the soil of the road surface.  Moisture then builds up under the surface of the pavement and when temperatures drop it causes the ground to expand and push the pavement upward.
When vehicles drive over it while temperatures are rising then the ground underneath returns to normal level but the pavement stays raised creating a gap, which is when a pothole forms after cracking and falling into the hollow space beneath.
“I feel like an obstacle course driver now, I’m becoming a pro at dodging the potholes all over the road,” said Donte Fullwood, 23, a Liberal Arts major from Croydon.
Not only are potholes becoming an issue for a vehicle’s maintenance but also avoiding them is another issue driver’s need to be cautious about.
Vehicle operators and drivers alike have to swerve, sometimes last minute into the other lane or even where pedestrians travel, all to avoid running them over and hearing that dreadful “thump.”
AAA Mid-Atlantic is also reporting that tire-related calls across the Philadelphia area are up about 63 percent in the months of Jan. and Feb. compared to last year.  Just in the month of Feb. alone tire-related issues surpassed 10,000 requests for assistance, up 88 percent from the same month in 2013 (5,473).
Kevin Hubbard, 23, a Communications major from Philadelphia, said, “I don’t mind the potholes because I take the bus everywhere,” Hubbard explained. “I can see why people who have to drive in this are furious though, it has to eat into your wallet when it has been this bad.”
On top of potholes, drivers must be on the lookout for salt piles and sand that have accumulated in the fight against the record amount of snow falling this winter.
“I’m starting to wonder where all my tax dollars are going to when I’m still driving into potholes that have been on the same roads I ride on every day,” stated David Cyhan, a Marketing major from Bensalem.
If you’re on the road and you see a pothole that hasn’t been fixed yet, Pennsylvania commuters are encouraged to call PennDOT’s pothole toll-free hotline at 1-800-FIX-ROAD (1-800-349-7623).
“Callers should try to be as specific as possible in describing the location of a pothole. Helpful information includes the State Route and section number (found on small, white signs along roadways), the direction of travel (eastbound or westbound lane, etc.) and any other useful location information,” according to PennDOT’s Customer Care Center website.