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Weather is to blame for increase in number of potholes in Milwaukee

Posted at 9:32 PM, Mar 25, 2019
and last updated 2019-03-26 07:17:38-04

MILWAUKEE — Problematic potholes are causing headaches for drivers all across the city.

Doc Hoffman lives on Sherman Blvd, outside his home, there are five massive craters, 5 inches deep. He said this year the potholes have been worse than last year.

"You hit that with your car just right and you can blow a tire or it can break something," Hoffman said.

According to DPW in 2019 there have been 4,818 calls for pothole service. In 2018 there were 3,298 calls. Officials said it takes less than three days to repair a pothole once reported but Hoffman said the potholes on his street have been there a lot longer.

"I reported these on the 8th of this month," Hoffman said.

Nakia Bankhead owns Four Seasons Transportation Company. He said the whole city has a pothole problem but the north side is the worse.

"It ain't even potholes it's like sinkholes now," Bandhead said.

This morning Alderman Russell Stamper and Alderwoman Miele Coggs called a meeting with the Department of Public Works to find out their plan to fix the roads.

"The community is calling and they are responding," Stamper said. "They are quicker than the history and we have received more calls than ever this year and that's because it's evident on the street we have a lot of potholes."

According to DPW, the number of potholes being reported would normally spike in April or May but with the freezing and thawing cycles this winter it’s affecting the roads earlier. DPW officials said asphalt is not really in production so they still rely on a temporary fix called a cold patch. This means even if they repair a pothole they may have to readdress it in the near future.

"We are looking forward to the middle of April where we can have the permit asphalt mix so the potholes will not return," Stamper said.

To report a pothole in the City of Milwaukee call 286-CITY.