Punxsutawney Phil’s shadow may have signaled six more weeks of winter but that hasn’t stopped warmer weather in Missouri. MoDOT crews are taking this opportunity to focus on pothole repairs.

Potholes form when temperatures warm up during the day but continue to be cold at night. Moisture left from rain and snow seeps into cracks and joints in the pavement. Frozen water trapped in cracks and under the surface causes pavement to bulge and bend. Then when ice melts, the pavement contracts and leaves gaps or voids in the surface under the pavement. When vehicles drive over the bulging pavement, it weakens the roadway, eventually causing chunks of pavement to pop out, creating potholes.

MoDOT prioritizes pothole repairs throughout the spring months. Motorists can help crews maintain the roads by reporting the location of potholes on state-maintained roads using the following tools:

• Call the 24/7 Customer Service Center at 1- 888- ASK- MODOT (888-375-6636).

• Fill out the Report a Road Concern form on MoDOT’s website.

• Use the hands-free reporting feature within the Waze app, where available, and receive real-time digital alerts on where crews are working.

Potholes on city streets or subdivisions should be reported to local city or county maintenance.

In 2025, MoDOT patched more than 650,000 potholes at a cost of $20 million. This season, MoDOT will have approximately 300 pothole patching crews working statewide to fill potholes based on historical data of where they form as well as reports from the public. As pothole patching crews are out making repairs, the public is asked to slow down, move over and give crews room to do their jobs. Work with MoDOT to keep Missouri roads as smooth and safe as possible.