INDIANAPOLIS — Drivers are continuing to experience trouble with potholes across city streets, with some saying they've had their vehicles damaged as a result of the potentially dangerous pits.
One driver said the road he lives on is dangerous due to a large number of potholes.
"Absolute madness,” said Patrick Dutchess who has lived in Indianapolis for decades. “You know, you are worried about hitting the other car, you're worried about blowing out your tires and it's just completely unsafe."
Dutchess feels the potholes have gotten worse over the years and said he has to be careful simply walking to his mailbox.
"Coming up here to get the mail, you know, I have to stop and be very cautious — and it's not just because cars drive like crazy on this street,” said Dutchess. “You are ducking and swerving, ducking and swerving — and no good comes of that."
MORE | Department of public works begins strip-patching problem pothole areas
The Indianapolis Department of Public Works said it will continue strip-patching problem areas. Officials say it is the best course of action they can take before a capital project is planned.
"These are things that we can do right now as opposed to taking them to a designer doing an entire block or multiple blocks of street reconstruction. We can hear about the issue right now and get it on the books right now,” said Ben Easley the Communications Director for DPW.
Strip patching takes special equipment and is something the Department has both trained its own people to do, as well as a job they contract out. Easley said full-scale capital projects are how they plan on fixing the pothole problem permanently.
“In the past several years, we have shifted away from just simple resurfacing projects to full-scale reconstruction projects of our street,” said Easley, adding that the reconstruction projects have held up well against potholes.
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For drivers like Dutchess, those major projects can’t start soon enough. He said he has spent thousands over the years fixing damage to his car created by these craters of chaos.
“I’ve probably had to fix my car at least three times — and not just the tires, but the wheels themselves,” said Dutchess. “As anybody knows are extremely expensive and you know, that and it's horrible and it's unsafe. Then when you see them patching the center turn lanes and the rest of the road is falling apart, it gets a little frustrating to see that."
The Indianapolis DPW couldn't give an exact timeline on how long the strip patching fix would last on the roads. To view the pothole tracker, click here. To report a pothole in your area, click here.
