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Long winter means more potholes to dodge

PITTSBURGH — The long winter is putting more stress on road crews to deal with a growing problem, potholes.

From the South Hills, to the South Side, on interstates and neighborhood roads.

Potholes litter streets throughout Western Pennsylvania, causing plenty of frustration.

"It's been absolutely horrible, terrible. I can barely get around them without feeling I'm endangering myself or others,” said Pleasant Hills resident Sarah Ackman.

For drivers like Ackman, the potholes seem even worse this winter.

According to PennDOT, she’s right.

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"It's taken a real toll on the roadways this year, more severe than the last couple of years. We've had some pretty mild winters the last two years,” said PennDOT County Maintenance Manager Jason Zang.

The constant freezing and thawing combined with heavy snow plows out more often is tearing up the roads.

Crews said they know what's happening and they're doing everything they can to fix the problem.

"We're trying to get out as quickly as possible. If we can get out the same day, then that's what we've been doing. Our No. 1 priority is the potholes. If we're not fighting a snowstorm then we're out patching potholes right now,” Zang said.

The city of Pittsburgh is taking a similar strategy with its pothole blitz, which filled around 1,100 potholes three weeks ago.

But it's a problem crews know will require much of their attention.

We've heard from you on Facebook about the damage some of these potholes have caused to your cars.

Legally, you can file a claim against an agency over a pothole, but it's often an uphill battle to get the agency to pay for it.