Potholes Multiply As Streets Take Pounding In Harsh Winter Weather

Spring can’t come soon enough for the nation’s roads. The extreme cold and snow have been chipping away at the infrastructure of American cities. And leaving holes in driver’s wallets.

Across the country, motorists spend $377 dollars annually in added vehicle operating costs driving roads in desperate need of pothole repairs. One estimate says it will cost car owners $6.4 billion by the end of 2014, mostly in repairs.

They form when water from melting snow and ice seeps into the pavement, freezes and expands. When the ice melts, there are gaps in the pavement, and passing vehicles cause it to break up.

This winter, streets and highways are taking a pounding. And with more cold weather in the forecast, New York City workers like Albert Mercado will end up repairing a lot more than the 117,000 potholes they’ve already filled. That’s more than the last two years combined.

Read more at CBS NEWS.

{Matzav.com Newscenter}