A part of I-70 briefly shutdown today

A part of I-70 briefly shut-down today, West of Booneville.

Troopers were dealing with a couple large potholes that popped up on the interstate after the fluctuating temperatures.

The potholes can create a lot of damage, and more importantly, they can be deadly.

Tiger Towing said they just had pothole damage themselves, “I hit a pothole, around 55-miles-per-hour, it bent the rim, the inside of the rim, to replace that wheel is like $600 for the wheel,” said owner David Debates. Pothole-popped tires are a problem they see often.

A tire company told ABC 17, the issue keeps them very busy. He said it can also be very expensive, “it’s such an impact, it will usually, very easily, break the belts in the tire and could damage your wheel also,” said the owner of Lee’s Tire Company, Lee Stidham.

ABC 17 spoke to a MoDOT employee who said, it is prime pothole season. She said it is the changing temperatures that can contract and expand the road, then the rain flushes the filling away.

MoDOT wants to fix the potholes and asks people to call them when they see one, but filling them is risky and it takes three warning vehicles to do the job. The assistant Supervisor at MoDOT said, “we just ask everyone, whenever they see our lights and our trucks, just to slow down and be prepared to pay attention and you’re giving us plenty of room.”

Highway Patrol told ABC 17 what you should do if you hit a pothole on the freeway. State Trooper, Chris Winter said, “you would want to slow-down and pull over to the shoulder, exit the vehicle, check for any damage and contact the highway patrol.” He also said, if possible, it is best to get off the highway to check your car.

If you find yourself with damage to your car from a pothole on state roads or the highway, you can find a claim form here. To report any potholes, you can call 1-888-275-6636 or enter details here.

MoDOT told ABC 17 they have funding to fix the current problems, but over the long-term, they are in need of more funding.