Transportation crews ramp up "pothole blitz" since Maryland's winter storm
The repair blitz is on, filling in potholes statewide.
Baltimore City's Department of Transportation says nearly 1,000 potholes were reported citywide since the major winter storm a few weeks ago. The transportation officials said it launched a pothole blitz to prioritize repairing potholes.
Meanwhile, the State Highway Administration says it has filled 7,000 square yards of potholes since the fiscal year began July 1. That is 200 more square yards than the prior fiscal year.
Baltimore City pothole filling
Since the pothole blitz began on Monday, the city says it filled more than 1,400 potholes citywide.
The city says it is dividing the city into four quadrants to tackle pothole repairs. It says almost 1,000 road craters have been reported to 311 since the major winter storm a few weeks ago. Nearly 300 of those reports came from west and southwest Baltimore.
In addition to these potholes being filled, the city says it is repairing other potholes crews find during their workday.
"For any naysayers or doubters, in 2025 we repaired over 134,000 potholes, and so we are actively out there and just continuing to urge you to call 311," said Veronica McBeth, the director of the Baltimore City Department of Transportation.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, the city filled 1,474 potholes, which included 547 in quadrant one in the northeast, 234 in the northwest, 422 in the southwest and 271 in the southeast.
At this time last year, the city says 700 potholes were reported as compared to almost 1,000 311 reports this year.
"More than last year"
The State Highway Administration measures pothole filling by the fiscal year and says it has patched more than 7,000 square yards of potholes since July 1. That's already more than 200 square yards more than last fiscal year
"We're already past that that entire year, and we still have peak pothole season to get through March." said Charlie Gischlar, from the State Highway Administration.
The SHA says crews typically use cold patch to fill the road, but this winter they are using a new technique.
"We put that cold patch through that hot box, and that puts it on with temperature, so that it's more of a longer lasting repair to the pothole," Gischlar said.
For drivers though, they are left with a choice: swerve around the pothole or hit it straight on.
"I'm always trying to, like, get around it, like, not going to the other lane, right? But it's pretty bad," said Hampden resident Aaron Guillen. "It's good that the city is trying to fill them. It's good that they finally cleared all the snow off the road. It seems like things are moving in the right direction."
Potholes this winter have made some drivers feel like they are playing video games.
"I am the king of Mario Kart. It does, but luckily, I'm great at it," Guillen said.
Baltimore City DOT says crews were not out working on Thursday because of the rainy weather.
If you see a pothole on your corner, you can report it in the city by calling 311 and if it's a state road, on the highway administrations website.
