Photo: Jim MacKay/WBZ NewsRadio
QUINCY, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Spring is here and so is pothole season.
As temperatures fluctuate between freezing and thawing, water seeps into road cracks causing pressure in the pavement from expansion and contraction.
The result is holes in the roads and highways in some cases causing thousands of dollars of vehicle damage for frustrated drivers.
Local and state road crews do their best to keep up with maintaining the roads, but this time of year can seem like an endless task of finding and fixing potholes before they cause any damage. "I've got to go buy new shocks," said a Honda driver in Quincy named Juan after he drove over a pothole. "I'm going to go to do that in the next couple of days."
Juan said potholes have caused damage to several different parts of his car. "The steering, the suspension, everything, your motor mount."
Juan said even his transmission and muffler have pothole damage. "Insurance doesn't cover a lot of it," Juan added.
According to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, potholes should be reported to the local DPW.
And if your car is damaged by a pothole, you can file a claim with your city or town.
But this may only apply to city or town roads, not state highways.
State highways may offer limited compensation for injuries, but not for property damage, according to Mass. DOT.
WBZ NewsRadio's Jim MacKay (@JimMacKayOnAir) reports.