When reporting a pothole, be as specific as possible as to pothole locations or other maintenance concerns such as deer removal or signing issues. For state routes, report the county, municipality, street name and route number, or the state route (SR) number that can be found on small black and white signs posted along state roadways. Also provide a description of any familiar landmarks that will help PennDOT locate the problem area.
A pothole develops when water seeps below the road through small cracks in the pavement surface. As the water repeatedly freezes and thaws due to temperature fluctuations, a cavity forms below the surface and larger cracks develop, which destroys the strength of the pavement.