Besides being an annoyance on the roads, potholes continue to be costly for Columbus drivers.

The Ohio Department of Transportation spent approximately $3.2 million and nearly 7,000 man-hours patching potholes last year — the equivalency of a four-man crew working full-time for 230 days.

Lindsay Mendicino, an ODOT spokesperson, said the effects of this winter’s severe weather conditions are just beginning to surface.

“Severe conditions like freezing and thaws are the biggest things that cause potholes. We are just starting to see a lot of them pop up now,” she said. “Most of the pavements in central Ohio are in pretty good shape. The older pavement has more cracks so ice and water can get into them easier.”

Any time there is heavy ice or snow, the wear and tear on the asphalt will be more severe, said Sarah Blouch, director of Transportation and Parking.

“The freeze and thaw exacerbates the situation. If you have any cracks in the surface, it just wiggles the asphalt loose. We were lucky last year we had a mild winter,” Blouch said.

Potholes around campus are being fixed, but only temporarily. Fixing potholes requires asphalt; however, the asphalt plants will not open until the weather gets warm.

“Cold patch is a temporary fix. It’s like an asphalt, but it does not have the benefit of being heated, so it pops out after repeated use,” Blouch said.

As a campus commuter, Vince Porretta, a junior in Italian, has noticed the potholes throughout Columbus. He said roads are much worse around campus.

“Norwich is pretty bad and up by the Radio Shack on North High Street, the whole lane is potholes. It just makes me mad because it is a pain,” he said. “I don’t have to go that way, but it is more convenient. I just kind of swerve around them. I’m safe about it, but I just avoid them.”

The two trouble-spots in Franklin County this year are Interstate 70 on the west side downtown and Interstate 270 on the south side near Georgesville Road and U.S. 62, Mendicino said. Both spots will be repaired in the upcoming construction season.

Exposure to potholes could be costly for Ohio drivers, said Randy McDermott, Mueller Tire’s Manager.

“If you are lucky, it will just damage the tire. Tires cost anywhere from $19 on up to $500, depending on what type of vehicle you drive. If you are unlucky, a wheel will be bent, and that can be very expensive,” McDermott said.

Automakers continue to increase the size of vehicle tires, creating a trend that could result in expensive disadvantages to customers, McDermott said.

The bigger tires have mostly chrome wheels and shorter sidewalls, and although the look is more appealing to many people, the actual life span of the tire is reduced.

“Tires on newer vehicles are larger and the cost of rims is expensive, but there is not a lot of tire there to absorb the impact (of driving over potholes). That means the wheel will take the brunt of the impact,” McDermott said.

Residents who believe their vehicles have been damaged by potholes can call ODOT for information on filing a claim.

Last year, 37 out of 82 pothole-related claims were settled, costing the state approximately $17,000 in damages.

“The state is only responsible for paying a claim when it can be shown that ODOT has been negligent in repairing the roadway. To show negligence, the court looks at the number of times ODOT has repaired potholes in a given location within the last six months. If the area has a recurring pothole problem, then ODOT will be responsible for that,” Mendicino said.

Once a pothole is reported, construction crews are usually working to fix the problem within the first 24 hours, Mendicino said.