INDIANAPOLIS — Indy's Department of Public Works said crews are working ten-hour shifts this week and next week— weather permitting— to make roads smoother. The department said its dropped 3,000 tons on pothole filling and about 30,000 tons in strip patching.
"We have certainly had some ups and downs weather-wise this year. We've lost 26 days either full day or most of the day to various weather conditions but crews still have been busy trying to catch up," said DPW spokesperson Kyle Bloyd.
"We've filled about 157,000 holes this year and dropped over 3,000 tons of mix but pothole complaints are still coming in," he said.
Bloyd said DPW has received about 8,200 more reports of potholes this year compared to this time last year.
"We've closed out about 11,000 of them but in addition to our pothole crews putting in work, we also have contracted strip patching crews taking care of some major thoroughfares on both the northern and southern half of the county. We've also got our in-house residential strip patching crews active," said Bloyd.
He said about 30,000 tons have been used in strip patching.
"Strip patching is going to specifically take the top layer of asphalt off from point A to point B. When we are putting that plan together we are typically looking at where are we seeing the most complaints in the highest traveled areas so we can have the biggest impact we can while stretching our budget dollars as far as we can," said Bloyd.
He encourages residents to continue to file pothole complaints with the Mayor's Action Center or on the app.
"Those complaints really help inform decision-making both in the short and long-term," he said.
