SHREWSBURY TWP., Pa. - Some mechanics in southern York County say they are seeing a rush of drivers needing service because of potholes that have formed on Interstate 83.
The potholes are predominantly on the southbound side of I-83 approaching the Shrewsbury exit.
For some drivers who live in the area near the state line with Maryland, they say the drill is simple: be ready for potholes.
"We drive into Maryland every day, so once we come across the state line that's where we know there's going to be some potholes, and the roads are just a little bit different here in Pennsylvania," said Louann Harrell of Stewartstown.
At Mr. Tire in Shrewsbury Township, technicians serviced at least eight cars since Tuesday night that needed flat tires replaced and/or alignment because of potholes.
"When I came in this morning, there were three or four off to the side of the road already, I come down to the business down here on the corner off the exit ramp, and there's probably another three or four sitting there," said Randy Eaddy, manager at Mr. Tire. "The patches that are already in there, concrete, the water gets below it, it freezes up and pulls it away, soon as a car goes over it, starts pulling away, makes a bigger pothole."
The problem of potholes is not limited to Shrewsbury. Two weeks ago, drivers complained to FOX43 about a rash of potholes on both sides of I-83 at the Mount Rose Avenue exit, which PennDOT patched up within a few days.
"Smaller car, cracked wheels are the biggest ones, tires pretty frequently get blown out," said Robert Muskett, head technician with Monro in York Township. "One guy, same wheel, twice had to get it replaced not even a week later from the same pothole."
Other than avoiding potholes outright, the best tip is to leave plenty of distance between yourself and the vehicle in front of you.
"There's not a whole lot you can do,"Eaddy said. "Once you hit it, the damage is done. Even the smallest pothole can still do damage to your tires."
If you see potholes on highways, you can report them to a PennDOT hotline at 1-800-FIX-ROAD.