Recently, potholes have taken over all roads, especially the Cherry Hill East parking lot.

These potholes have been causing wreckage to many students’ and staff members’ tires, drawing plenty of anger and concern.

Over the past few weeks, community members have been questioning when the potholes will be paved or whether the school district is even aware of the craters.

Paula Zanotti (‘14) said, “I’ve driven in the East parking lot many times and recently it’s been horrible. My car just can’t take it.”

Potholes pose a real danger to fellow drivers. They can damage cars and cause traffic delays as drivers swerve away from them. Swerving away from the potholes is not only distracting, but also downright dangerous.

Jena Blum (‘15) said, “I was driving and went over one and felt like my whole car was sucked in like a black hole. These potholes are crazy.”

The potholes can be blamed on the extremely snowy winter that recently swept through Cherry Hill.

Potholes are caused by the expansion and contraction of ground water after the water has entered into the ground under the pavement. When water freezes, it expands. When the ice eventually melts, the pavement contracts and leaves large gaps in the surface under the pavement, where water can seep in and be trapped. If the water freezes and thaws over and over, the pavement will weaken and continue cracking. As the weight of cars and trucks pass over the weak spot in the road, pieces of the roadway material weaken, which causes the material to be displaced or broken down from the weight, creating the pothole.

However, after all the concerns and worries, the potholes have been fixed. The township brought over workers who filled the potholes, leaving a fresh patch of gravel.

Students can thank the Board of Education representatives, Sagar Desai (’14) and Lydia George-Koku (’14), for bringing the problem to the Board of Education (BOE).

Desai said, “Many students have been coming up to me asking if I have discussed the pothole problems with the BOE. I noticed the problem myself and saw the concerns among my fellow classmates and knew something had to be done.”

Ross Peterzel (’14), was at the school for weekend baseball practice when he noticed that there were no more pot holes.

“I knew something was different because my ride through the parking lot was much smoother than usual and I didn’t notice any potholes. Life is good,” Peterzel said.

Students and staff can now look forward to driving in the parking lot without having to worry about potholes disrupting their morning stroll to their parking spot.