There’s no such thing as a pothole-proof road. Not in Pennsylvania at least.

As the beginning of spring approaches, the annual blooming of holes in the pavement is in full swing.

And while some drivers welcome the opportunity to place the blame for the nuisance on the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, experts say it has a lot more to do with the climate in the Northeastern United States than road construction.

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“The frequency of the freeze-thaw cycle is something we cannot control. In general the northeast of the USA is characterized by ‘wet freeze’ climate, thus it is the most prone region in the country to potholes,” said Ahmed Faheem, of the Temple University College of Engineering.

Whenever a road meets cold and moisture, there will inevitably be potholes. While newer roads can be designed to drain better, Faheem said it’s impossible to totally prevent them.

The reason drainage is crucial is because water expands when it freezes, weakening the road surface. When it melts, it only takes a few cars to break that weakened pavement.

“When traffic passes on the unsupported pavement, the surface starts to break and chip away, leaving the gravel layer exposed, and a pothole is formed,” Faheem said.

PennDOT spends a considerable amount of time during the summer months trying to prevent potholes. Crack sealing operations are aimed at keeping that moisture out of the road. Another effective method, although unpopular with drivers, is tar and chipping of roads. The tar has the same effect as sealing your driveway. Gravel is needed, because unlike you and your driveway, PennDOT can’t just keep cars off state routes for days at a time.

“Water is the enemy of the pothole. That’s why we do crack seal to prevent water from getting into the road. People may not like oil and chip, but it’s a very effective preventive maintenance,” PennDOT spokesman Sean Brown said.

“Oil and chip and crack sealing to prevent them — It’s our best friend in the winter time, it’s not allowing the water to get in that subbase,” said Jay Borger, PennDOT’s Monroe County manager.

Once winter starts they do what they can to repair potholes. However, that is a challenge because blacktop plants are closed for the winter. Patches that are put in during the winter are usually temporary, and need to be replaced once summer comes.

Over the years, PennDOT has developed ways to give patches a better chance of longevity. Now instead of just using “cold patch,” they can heat the asphalt on their trucks to a temperature of 150 F, which means a better chance of binding.

Using a saw to cut square edges in the pavement has also improved the effectiveness of patches.

“Cold patch is a temporary patch, depending on the road they can pop out at any time, but we have to get out and fix it. With the new hot box, it lasts longer,” Borger said.

Locating potholes, with help from drivers, is also important to PennDOT workers begin to take note of potholes on interstates and state routes. They also rely on residents to report potholes using the 800-FIX-ROAD hotline.

Through weekly staff meetings, they prioritize which roads have the most need for maintenance. But potholes that are posing a threat to drivers are the number one priority.

“We’re always reacting to safety concerns. If we have a safety concern, we’re reacting immediately,” Borger said.