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WEBVTT ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO POTHOLES. POTHOLE SEASON IS COMING EARLY THIS YEA >> I HAVE BEEN HERE NINE YEARS, IT IS ONE OF THE WORST I HAVE SEEN. LOWELL CHRIS MITCHELL A SHA CREW : TEAM LEADER OUT ON I-70 MONDAY PATCHING THINGS UP AS BEST HIS CREW CAN. RIGHT NOW IT’S A TEMPORARY FIX USING A COLD PATCH JUST TO FILL IN THE HOLES. >> IF THE WEATHER IS GOOD IT WILL LAST A COUPLE OF WEEKS UNTIL THE WEATHER GETS BAD AGAIN AND WENT TO START CALLING INSULTING IT WILL GO BACK OUT. LOWELL: THE WORKLOAD SO HEAVY THIS YEAR THAT WERE CROWS HERE ON I 70 WILFRED PAIR POTHOLES LIKE THIS ONE OVER AND OVER AGAIN TO THE TENT OF HUNDREDS A WEEK. >> IT TAKES A SIX HOURS A DAY. CONSTANT WORK. LOWELL FOR FISCAL YEAR 2018 : STATE HIGHWAY CREWS REPAIRED MORE THAN 25,000 CUBIC YARDS OF POTHOLES AND THIS YEAR THA NUMBER IS EXPECTED TO GROW. WHY? ALL THE RAIN WE HAD LAST YEAR COMBINED WITH FREEZING TEMPERATURES FOLLOWED BY MUCH WARMER TEMPERATURES. AND WHILE ALL OF THESE REPAI ARE BEING MADE DRIVERS ARE REMINDED OF THE MOVE-OVER LAW REQUIRING MOTORISTS TO SAFELY MOVE AWAY FROM VEHICLES ON THE SHOULDERS OF THE HIGHWAY >> WE HAVE ARROW BOARDS ON TRUCKS AND JUST PAY ATTENTION, A VIEW CA RIGHT ARROW MOVE OVER TO THE RIGHT AND IF IT IS LEFT HIM A MOVE OVER TO THE LEFT, ALL THESE FLASHING LIGHTS, PAY ATTENTION TO THEM. LOWELL: STATE HIGHWAY OFFICIALS SAY THEY WILL START MAKING PERMANENT FIXES IN LATE MARCH AND EARLY APRIL WHEN TEMPS ARE CONSISTENTLY ABOVE 50 DEGREES. IF YOU SEE A POTHOLE ON A STATE ROAD OR HIGHWAY WE’VE GOT A LINK ON HOW TO REPORT IT ON WEB AND APP. LIVE IN ELLICOTT CITY LOWELL MELSER WBALTV11

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State highway officials tell 11 News they are bracing for one of the worst pothole seasons on record, affecting a number of roads. While people maybe be enjoying the mild temperatures on Tuesday, that is actually part of the problem when it comes to potholes."I've been here nine years, it's probably one of the worst years I've seen," said team leader Chris Mitchell.Mitchell, a State Highway Administration crew team leader, was out on I-70 patching things up as best his crew can. As of now, it's a temporary fix, using a cold patch just to fill in the holes."If the weather is good, it will last probably a couple of weeks until the weather gets bad again and as we start plowing and salting, it'll start coming back out," said Mitchell. The workload is so heavy this year that crews on I-70 will repair potholes over and over again to the tune of hundreds a week."It takes us roughly six hours a day and it's just constant, constant work," said Mitchell. For the 2018 fiscal year, state highway crews repaired more than 25,000 cubic yards of potholes, and this year that number is expected to grow.The reason for this is all the rain Maryland had last year, combined with freezing temperatures, followed by much warmer temperatures."You take that moisture and then the freeze-thaw cycle and then you've got potholes all over the place," said SHA media relations manager Charlie Gischlar.And while all of these repairs are being made, drivers are reminded of the move-over law, requiring motorists to safely move away from vehicles on the shoulders of the highway."We have arrow boards on trucks just pay attention if you see a right arrow move to the right if you see a left move to the left you see all these flashing lights pay attention to them," said Mitchell. State highway officials say they will start making permanent fixes in late March and early April, when temps are consistently higher.If you see a pothole on a state road or highway, the link on how to report it here.