It’s a bumpy road to spring full of potholes and black ice

    Listen
     Philly's got a new piece of equipment that can fill a pothole in 90 seconds. It's called the 'pothole killer' (AP Photo, file)

    Philly's got a new piece of equipment that can fill a pothole in 90 seconds. It's called the 'pothole killer' (AP Photo, file)

    Even with climbing temperatures and no new snow to shovel, the region is suffering a multitude of problems because of the weather.

    Most can be felt under your feet or your tires.

    The freezing and thawing cycles have created a major black ice situation in the city, said Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter.

    “Black ice can also be caused by water dripping from roofs, groundwater and even moisture in the air,” he said. “We want motorists and pedestrians to be mindful to black ice conditions on the roadways, which can be deceiving to the eye and appear to be just moisture or a little bit of wetness on the road.”

    • WHYY thanks our sponsors — become a WHYY sponsor

    Fluctuating temperatures have also caused a major explosion of potholes.

    Nearly 4,000 “potholes have already been filled this year,” said the mayor Thursday. “Unfortunately, you may have run into one that we missed. We’re working on it.

    “For comparison, Jan. 1 to Feb. 18 of 2013, we had filled 1,540 potholes, so we are already above twice that of last year,” he said.

    To report a crater, call 311 for city streets or 1-800-FIXROAD for state-maintained highways.

    WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.

    Want a digest of WHYY’s programs, events & stories? Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

    Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal