By Emma Bouthillette 

Staff Writer

The inevitable winding down of the winter season means pothole season is here. 

The freezing and thawing cycle has already begun to tear up Maine’s roads, and public works departments in Kennebunk and Kennebunkport are patching up holes and posting weight limits on roads. 

Kennebunkport Highway Department Superintendent John Hirst said the beginning of March is usually the time when most cities and towns post roads with weight limits marked by  orange signs through the end of March or beginning of April, as temperatures rise and the ground softens.

“The frost is starting to come out and the roads are becoming real soft and heavy trucks hauling break up the hard top fast,” Hirst said. 

While posting the roads with weight limits reduces some of the impact, Hirst said a few warm days and some rain in the past couple of weeks have created potholes, or large gouges in the road, and bumps and buckles in the pavement known as frost heaves. 

While public works crews can’t do much to alleviate the frost heaves, Kennebunk Public Works Director Mike Claus said crews are filling in trouble spots with cold patch – a mix of stone, sand and asphalt.

“The holes tend to be recurring and it’s not unusual that we have to go back,” Claus said. “Then we’ll get to it in the summer with hot mix that will stay.”

Claus said if potholes are reported on high-speed roads, a crew will “get out there and fix it quick,” but he said residents should drive with extra caution as spring comes into full force. 

“You’ve got to take care with driving in winter and spring,” Claus said. “While driving on the country roads, slow down, especially at night or with fog or rain. Those potholes can sneak up on you.”

But with miles of road, the public works departments may miss a few potholes. 

“Call the highway department to report potholes because there may be one we didn’t catch,” Hirst said. “As soon as we see them we get right on them.”

To report potholes, call 985-4811 in Kennebunk, 967-5728 in Kennebunkport or 985- 4201.