OHIO — With snow coming and going this winter, a sign of spring is already popping up in the Buckeye State: potholes.

Most cities have systems put in place for residents to report a pothole and information on how to file a damage report if their car is damaged when running over a pothole.

According to Alan Brubaker, Summit County Engineer, potholes vary in shape and size and form from the expansion and contraction of ground water after water enters the ground under the pavement. 

"Think of when ice cubes are made. A tray full of water is put into the freezer, and when you remove the tray from the freezer, you will notice the water has expanded," Brubaker said. "This same effect happens when water gets into the ground under the pavement. If it has a chance to freeze, it will take up more space under the pavement, and the pavement will expand, bend, and crack, which weakens the material pavement."

When the ice melts, holes — or voids — are left underneath the pavement. If the water continues freezing and thawing repeatedly, the pavement continues to be weakened. As cars and trucks pass over the weakened pavement, it continues to break down and be misplaced, leaving the pothole behind for the next driver to try and dodge.  

The Ohio Department of Transportation is responsible for the state's system of roads including all interstates and federal and state routes located outside municipalities. The Ohio Turnpike Commission handles responsibility for the turnpike, while municipalities handle local roads and federal and state routes located within them. Counties and townships handle local roads as well. 

If a vehicle is damaged on a state system roadway as a result of a pothole, debris on the road, other roadway defect, or from an ODOT or ODOT contractor's vehicle, ODOT offers a form for filing damages or defects. 

The City of Cleveland said the best time to repair potholes are on dry days when the weather is above 40 degrees. In the winter, the 10-12 crews out repairing potholes use a temporary mixture called Cold Patch to hold the hole until warmer weather arrives, then a hot asphalt mixture is used to repair the hole. 

Cleveland has approximately 10,200 main and residential streets managed by the crews. 

To report a pothole to the city, contact City of Cleveland Citizen Support Specialists at 3-1-1 or 216-664-2000. If your vehicle is damaged by a Cleveland pothole, call the Department of Law Claims at 216-664-2859 between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. if a claim is filed, claimants will be required to fill out claim forms. The Law Department will review the claims and determine if reimbursement is necessary. 

Cincinnati residents are able to use their mobile phone to report potholes or request city services via the 311Cincy app. The app contains GPS mapping, allowing resident to select the map-based location of the service request and the ability to upload a photo alongside the request. 

The app was launched as part of the overall 311Cincy Customer Service initiative. 

As of Jan. 30, of the 792 service requests for Cincinnati, 91 of them are for pothole repairs. Potholes can also be reported by calling 513-591-6000, or by clicking here. To file a damage claim after a pothole encounter, call 513-591-6000. The time, date and street address will need to be noted, and if the damage involved any city equipment. For pothole damage, a specific address is required, a description of the lane and any insurance damage claims.

The Buckeye Capital handles potholes across 6,000 lane miles including local roadways, State Routes 315, 33 and 104 where they fall inside the city limits. 

Residents can also use the mobile CBUS 311 app to report issues to the city, with pin-dropping to mark where the service is needed. Service requests can also be made by calling (614) 645-311. 

A lane mile is one mile of roadway multiplied by the number of lanes in the roadway. Residents can report pothomes through the 311 Service Center and provide a nearby address or intersection to help the crew locate the pothole. Even with the 311 Service requests, the Department of Public Service sends out Street Maintenance Investigators to locate and report potholes.

On average, potholes are addressed in swift fashion, with more than 90% of the holes being filled within three days of being reported. 

To report a pothole in Columbus, click here.