MoDOT crews focus on pothole repairs statewide, ask public to report damage

FOX23 News at 9 p.m

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo., (KBSI) — The Missouri Department of Transportation says crews are focusing on pothole repairs as weather conditions allow this spring and are asking the public to report roadway damage.

MoDOT officials say maintenance teams are using historical data and public reports to identify areas where potholes frequently develop.

Chief Safety and Operations Officer Becky Allmeroth said motorists should be patient and allow crews space to work safely.

Potholes typically form when daytime temperatures rise but overnight temperatures remain below freezing. Moisture from rain or snow seeps into cracks in pavement, freezes and expands, causing the roadway to bulge. When the ice melts, gaps form beneath the surface, and repeated traffic can cause sections of pavement to break apart.

MoDOT maintains about 34,000 miles of road, including interstates, U.S. highways and state routes. In 2025, crews patched more than 650,000 potholes at a cost of about $20 million. This season, approximately 300 patching crews will be deployed statewide.

MoDOT says some protective vehicles are equipped with technology that sends real-time alerts to drivers through navigation apps such as Waze, warning motorists of work zones.

Drivers can report potholes on state-maintained roads by calling MoDOT’s 24-hour customer service center at 1-888-ASK-MODOT, submitting a report at MoDOT, or, in some areas, using the hands-free reporting feature in the Waze app. Potholes on city streets should be reported to local city or county maintenance departments.