Arlington drivers may be experiencing some bumpier-than-usual commutes as the county continues to fix potholes formed during a cold and snowy winter.
Between Nov. 1 and March 1, the county’s Water, Sewer and Streets team recorded 499 potholes — the highest number since the winter of 2022, county spokesperson Kiara Candelaria Nieves told ARLnow.
Last winter, when significant snowfall only came in the first two weeks of January, the county recorded 157 potholes. The winter before that, which saw no major snow events, a total of 388 potholes appeared around Arlington.
However, back in the snowy 2022 — when snowstorms happened from early January through mid-March — a whopping 792 potholes were recorded in Arlington.
Potholes typically form when rain or snowmelt seeps through cracks in pavement and saturates the material underneath.
Repeated cycles of freezing and thawing further damage the pavement and begin to create a void that collects even more water. This becomes a pothole when vehicles finally crack the pavement and cause it to collapse into the hole.
“The number of potholes filled each year generally reflects the harshness of each winter and a rise in scheduled repaving (plus the levels of traffic on County streets),” a county webpage says.
Between Nov. 1 and March 1, the county repaired 259 potholes. About 240 pothole requests were submitted in the last week of February, Candelaria Nieves said.
“Most if not all” of these requests have since been assigned for repair.
Arlington residents can report potholes either online or by calling 703-228-5000.
This article has been updated to clarify that most pothole requests in the last week of February have since been assigned for repair.
