These little fellas can become dangerous problems if left unchecked.

It’s been quite a winter with lots of snow, ice, and rain. You know what that means? This Spring is going to be a season filled with caving pavement. Potholes are not only unsightly; they are also quite dangerous depending on their locations and their severity. Areas that are highly trafficked are much more likely to develop a pothole, but they can happen anywhere, even in your driveway.

How do they happen?

When moisture gets into the asphalt and freezes it expands. This expansion pushes the surface of the road upwards, warping and weakening it. When the ice thaws a hole is left behind beneath the surface of the road.  If this happens enough times either during the winter or in spring, when everything thaws, the roadway will collapse and create a pothole. Potholes can range in size from very small (a soccer ball) to enormous (A car). Obviously, the larger the hole the more dangerous it can be. However, another issue with potholes is their location. Some roads are placed above waterways or sewer systems and when these roads collapse serious problems are at hand.

What can I do?

Well, for starters you should most definitely call the city if the pothole is spotted on a state roadway. If the pothole occurs on your property in your driveway or other paved surface then you should call your local paving company so that you get your road repaired. You wouldn’t want a little rabbit or your dog to fall into the hole and hurt themselves would you? Of course not. That’s why it is essential to place a protective barrier around the pothole so that little critters, children, or other people won’t hurt themselves on the hazard. This barrier can be something as simple as a recycling bin with a sign on it or a more sophisticated apparatus. What matters is that it is visible. Then you just need to wait for help to come and repave the problem for you.

If you’re in need of a pothole repair then contact the Tri-State Paving Company. You can reach them by phone, 610.563.9456 (West Chester), 610.932.3566 (Oxford), or 302.757.4100 (Delaware). You can also find them on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+.