POSTED: 5:38 pm EST January 7, 2008
With more potholes appearing on area roads each day, it's been a bumpy ride for drivers. But what can drivers do if a pothole damages their cars?
NewsCenter 5's Rhondella Richardson reported that tire repair shops said their business is booming as pothole season in Massachusetts gets into full swing.
"Those four (wheels) came in today from pothole damage," said Barry Steinberg, CEO of Direct Tire.
Steinberg said another car's wheel was so damaged by potholes on Storrow Drive that it had to be towed to the repair shop.
More than a half-dozen Public Works crews are patching up problem areas everyday that they are not plowing or preparing to plow snow, the city said.
"It was so terribly cold and then we got this immediate warm up, and these frost heaves happen and the roads just open up," Steinberg said.
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Drivers can call 617-635-4500 to report a pothole. Residents can file a claim with the city by clicking on this link:. Drivers must provide a picture of the pothole and estimate of the repair costs within 30 days of the incident.
A pothole in Montréal, Canada last year.
Major city roads across North America are suffering from an early surge in potholes due to the dramatic freezes and thaws this month, some several feet across and inches deep. The potholes are caused by water seeping into cracks during warm weather, and pushing concrete apart when it freezes. Traffic erodes chunks of concrete from the cracks to form holes that continuously grow larger.

While car repair shops are experiencing a boom in business, city budgets are being hit with the costs of patching potholes. Thierry Larivée, an infrastructure spokesman in Montréal, Canada, says about 20 pothole patrols are working throughout the city. They are expected to continue work until at least Friday.

Craig Bryson, spokesman for the Road Commission for Oakland County in Michigan, United States, reports problems on unpaved roads as well. "The warmer weather is also playing havoc with gravel roads; the top layer of dirt thaws, but remains frozen about 10 inches below the surface. Surface water has no place to go. This creates a rutted, soupy road, especially in low-lying areas."

Environment Canada meteorologist René Héroux attributes the unseasonable thaw to warm winds from the southwest. Environment Canada predicts a new cold front on Thursday.