With spring right around the corner, Missouri Department of Transportation crews are focusing on pothole repairs as weather allows to keep roads as smooth and safe as possible. The public is asked to report potholes so MoDOT’s maintenance crews can assess the damage and complete the needed repairs.

Potholes form when temperatures warm up during the day but continue to be cold at night. The rain and snow leave moisture that seeps into cracks and joints in the pavement. Frozen water in cracks and under the surface of the roadway causes pavement to bulge and bend. Then when ice melts, the pavement contracts and leaves gaps or voids in the surface under the pavement. When vehicles drive over the bulging pavement, it weakens the roadway, eventually causing chunks of pavement or asphalt to pop out, creating potholes.

Motorists can report the locations of potholes by calling MoDOT’s Customer Service Center at 1-888-ASK-MODOT (275-6636) or online at modot.org. Potholes on city streets or subdivisions should be reported to local city or county maintenance.

MoDOT maintains 34,000 miles of road, including interstates, U.S. and Missouri routes, and lettered routes. In 2025, MoDOT patched more than 650,000 potholes at a cost of $20 million. This season, MoDOT will have approximately 300 pothole patching crews working statewide to respond as soon as possible after receiving a report.