FILE: UDOT crews fill potholes on 9400 South in Sandy Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2015. (Jeffrey D. Allred /Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — The winter weather is adding another hazard to go along with slick roads for drivers; potholes. But, the Utah Department of Transportation has an app Utahns can use to report the hazards.
Drivers can report any potholes they see on the UDOT App Click ‘n Fix.
“You can drop a pin where those potholes are and if it’s on our road, we’ll go out and address them,” said UDOT spokesman John Gleason, reminding drivers that UDOT can only repair state-controlled roads.
Snowplows, salt, and freezing water all contribute to our pothole problems. said any water that gets under cracks in the road expands as it freezes, causing the asphalt to start chipping away.
Gleason called potholes a safety concern, with the potential to cause crashes as well as damage to vehicles.
He said technicians are working as hard as they can to repair the hazards, but can only do so if they know the pothole’s location.
Once UDOT knows about the problem, Gleason said repair crews work as quickly as possible to get them fixed.
“For safety purposes, we want to make sure we’re addressing those potholes when we can.”
It’s not always easy. The rain and snow make it difficult for crews sometimes.
“We have to pick our moments where it is a little bit drier. Even though we’re seeing all of this winter weather, we have to go out there and give it time to bond,” he said.
Even if it’s just a temporary fix, Gleason said the Click ‘n Fix app helps crews pinpoint what needs work.
UDOT’s app is available on the App Store and the Google Play Store.