INDIANAPOLIS — Cold snaps, warming patterns, and then back to the cold means roads across Indianapolis will likely start to give way in many places.
Potholes are already starting to pop up across Indianapolis, and the number of them will likely grow as the weather warms up.
An ebb and flow in temperatures are some of the main causes of potholes.
There are more than 900 open pothole claims around the city, which can be seen on the Indy Pothole Viewer. That number has continued to climb throughout the week.
For many people, potholes have caused a headache and hundreds of dollars in damage.
A massive pothole on Indy's west side is causing major headaches for neighbors.
When driving down Chelsea Road, it's clear water is standing in the streets.
But when taking a drive down the road, you quickly hit a number of potholes.
Christy Hayes says she has hit the potholes a number of times because she has no choice. It essentially covers the entire street.
"People cannot go down our street. They have to go in people's yards," Hayes said.
Hayes says she has tried to report the pothole to the city on numerous occasions, but says there has never been a permanent fix.
"I have papers right here, documentation saying closed that the city came out. They patch it. This is what you get," Hayes said.
She provided WRTV with a number of her complaints to the mayor's action center, even reporting the issue to her local city council member.
Hayes took her yard stick into the pothole, and measured more than three inches deep at spots. It takes over the nearly 20 foot wide roadway.
She says she is beyond frustrated and hopes the issue will be resolved soon, though she isn't very hopeful.
"Come out and start talking about your guy's neighborhoods, fix your neighborhood, fix your piles, fix your streets," Hayes said.
An Indy DPW spokesperson told WRTV they weren't aware of the issue, but they will look into it.
Hayes isn't alone, dozens of people have filed claims with the city for damage from potholes.
Stephanie Robertson was headed to work near 16th and Emerson when she says she hit a pothole.
A flat was the extent of her damage, but it still cost her a couple hundred dollars to repair.
Her frustration doesn't only lie in the damage to her but rather the issue with potholes being filled across the city.
"Its crazy that they were not catching these big giant potholes - because these were potholes before they got cold before we had this warm spell now," Robertson said.
She says she didn't report the pothole to the city prior to her damage, but wishes she would have.
It is possible to get reimbursed if a pothole damages your car, but very few claims are paid out.
2021
Pothole claims filed = 252
Pothole claims paid = 18
Amount paid = $7,454.46
2022
Pothole claims filed = 900
Pothole claims paid = 21
Amount paid = $8,205.94
2023
Pothole claims filed = 364
Pothole claims paid = 6
Amount paid = $1,623.86
You have to prove the city or state knew about the pothole before your damage.
These are the steps you must take to be reimbursed and things to keep in mind:
- File a tort claim on the Mayor's Action Center website or call 317-327-4622.
- Show photos of your damage.
- The claim must be made within 180 days.
- You must show receipts from bills you incurred for repairs.
To report potholes, you can use the RequestIndy mobile app, call the Mayor’s Action Center at 317-327-4622 or click here.
For more on how to file a tort claim, click here. You can also download, then fill out a blank template by clicking here.
By law, the city has 90 days to process a tort claim.
The city recommends you submit invoices for work completed on your car, not estimates.
