MoDOT tackles Stadium Boulevard pothole problem

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Missouri Department of Transportation crews finished patching potholes on Stadium Boulevard ahead of schedule between Interstate 70 and Highway 63.

The original plan was for crews to be out on the roads from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

MoDOT received several customer complaints about the potholes specifically on Stadium Boulevard. Columbia resident Alex Weiss, was just one of the people who contacted MoDOT about the pothole issues he's experienced.

"I drive stadium everyday and its like a land mine basically of potholes, you know you hit them and just shake your head thinking wow that either messed something up or its going to mess something up if I keep hitting it," Weiss said.

Potholes form when moisture gets into small holes and cracks in the road surface. The moisture expands and contracts when temperatures go up and down, causing the pavement to break apart. When that is combined with the weight of passing cars, potholes eventually form.

A study by AAA reported pothole-related car repairs cost around $300 on average, with some drivers paying over $1,000 to fix the damage. A study from 2016 reported pothole damage cost about $3 billion annually for U.S drivers, and in 2020, MoDOT spent about $18 million to patch approximately 760,000 potholes.

AAA recommends drivers inspect their tires, look ahead so they can react in time to avoid a pothole and slow down if a pothole cannot be avoided.

Road repair and construction work is ramping up as temperatures increase. MoDOT is trying to encourage drivers to help reduce the dozens of work zone deaths recorded last year, including more buffer truck crashes than ever before, this week as part of National Work Zone Awareness Week.

MoDOT said drivers can do two things to help protect themselves and workers out on the road, including wearing a seat belt and putting phones down while driving. Nearly three-quarters of fatal work zone crashes in 2020 involved drivers not wearing seat belts, MoDOT says.

Speeding is also a concern in work zones. MoDOT is partnering with the Missouri State Highway Patrol to enforce speed limits in some of the state's top work zones during construction season.

Officials want drivers to be aware of changing traffic conditions, observe warning signs and merge before reaching lane closures.