Hoosiers Rally Around A Common Hatred: Spring Potholes

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Hoosiers Rally Around A Common Hatred: Spring Potholes

  • By Maddie Alexander, TheStatehouseFile.com
  • INDIANAPOLIS— If you live in Indiana, you know there’s an abundance of potholes. According to a study by QuoteWizard, Indiana is ranked second in the U.S. for the worst pothole problem. In fact, out of the top 10 cities with the ruttiest roads, two cities in Indiana made the list: Lafayette and Indianapolis.… And Hoosiers are not happy.Potholes can cause a lot of damage to a car, and the topic is huge, especially in spring when they become an even bigger problem. Many Indiana citizens have a lot to say in Facebook town groups, and let’s just say they aren’t the nicest things.Citizens from Tippecanoe County, where Lafayette is, complain local road repair needs are not being met despite what the public pays.“If we are going to pay wheel tax for road repairs, then it should be taken care of a lot better,” said Mark Eagon.“I thought the whole idea of bringing in the lottery was to pay for road construction. Don’t potholes fall under that category?” asked Lisa Sparger, another Tippecanoe County resident.

    Angela Word, a former news producer, thinks this topic is newsworthy because it is always a problem and it affects the entire population. “It’s an issue that the public pays to repair but have no control over when and where the city prioritizes,” she said.

    Leslie Reed was concerned about safety. “A more proactive approach, like informing your local street department of potholes, helps everyone on the road, though,” she said. “The alternative is for everyone who sees a given pothole to either drive over it and risk damaging their vehicles or try to avoid it by quickly swerving, which is not ideal in any situation.”

    So what is causing all these bumps in the road?

    According to Benjamin Easley, chief communications officer for the Indianapolis Department of Public Works, “Potholes occur when streets deteriorate because moisture seeps under the roadways. It is especially bad in the spring because the moisture expands.”

    The Indy DPW “projects it will have used about 850 tons of hot mix asphalt filling potholes just this week,” he said.

    Yeah … a lot!

    In an attempt to keep drivers happy, the DPW crews recently put in five 10-hour days all over Hamilton County. They filled 40,000 potholes just last week alone. More than 65,000 potholes is the estimated number that will be filled this year.

    Looks like there is some hope for Indiana roads.

    The DPW asks that the public send in their pothole requests. So, don’t forget to report that pothole that left damage to your car.

    FOOTNOTE:: Maddie Alexander is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.

 

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