Pothole season is (unfortunately) here. How to report them, how long they take to repair.

If you found yourself dodging what appeared to be craters larger than basketballs left and right on your commute to work this week, you’re not alone! Pothole season is (unfortunately) here.

Here’s what you need about potholes and how to report them so your commute can be safer, less bumpy and hopefully result in fewer flat tires.

What are potholes?

Potholes are created when water seeps beneath the pavement through cracks, according to Indianapolis’ website. As the temperature drops, the water freezes and expands, causing the pavement to rise. As the ice melts, it creates an empty cavity beneath the pavement, so when a vehicle passes over one, it collapses and creates a pothole.

This is why there has been an increase after all the snowy and icy weather we got.

How do you report them?

Report a pothole through the Mayor’s Action Center online through RequestIndy or by calling 317-327-4622.

The Mayor’s Action Center is open daily for calls Monday – Friday. The call center hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., however, on Thursday they are closed from 2 to 3 p.m.

RequestIndy is accessible on the city’s website and via the mobile app 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Be sure to be specific in your report about how many are in the reported area, where they are located and what size they are (the options are small, medium, or larger than a basketball). It will also ask if they caused any property damage.

How long does it take for potholes to be repaired?

Unfortunately it all depends on the weather and how they decide to repair them. There are only two ways to repair them: With hot mix or cold asphalt patches.

Hot mix is the preferred method of repair, however, it’s only used during warm months because asphalt factories are closed during the colder months. Cold asphalt patches are the alternative method when the weather is too cold for hot mix, but they are not as permanent of a fix as hot mix.

It may take up to a week and a half before potholes are filled. Crews are often unable to repair potholes when it is raining, snowing or during very cold weather.

On busier roads with multiple potholes and weather damage, they might even decide to just resurface the road.

The Department of Public Works is in charge of assessing what roads need to be repaved, but they do accept public input and that can also be submitted via the Mayor’s Action Center.

Katie Wiseman is a trending news intern at IndyStar. Contact her at klwiseman@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @itskatiewiseman.