How you can report a pothole to the city of Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS — It’s that time of year, and you’ve probably noticed — and felt — more potholes forming around Indianapolis as we thaw out from the recent winter weather.

Potholes are created when water seeps into the ground beneath the road pavement and freezes, causing pavement to expand, bend and crack, according to AAA. The pavement continues to weaken over time and eventually break away.

City officials want to know where potholes are located. You can report a pothole in Indianapolis using the Request Indy website and mobile app, or you can call the Mayor’s Action Center at 317-327-4622.

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To make a request online, go to the RequestIndy page and click “create new request.” Then go to “Streets, Signs & Signals, Snow & Ice” and select potholes.

You can then report a pothole on a street, alley, the side of the road or on a highway or interstate. Main thoroughfares receive first priority because they handle the most traffic, according to the Indianapolis Department of Public Works.

The city also keeps track of where potholes have been reported on its Indy Pothole Viewer page.

Indy DPW crews are patching potholes using cold-mix asphalt. Cold-mix asphalt is a temporary fix to address one-off pothole issues until hot-mix asphalt becomes available later in the year, according to the department.

Since Jan. 1, 20,963 potholes have been filled using 487 tons of cold-mix asphalt.

Last year, the city paid $7,159.06 to 16 people who filed pothole claims against the city. A total of 251 claims were filed, according to statistics provided by the city.

That was an increase from the $5,883.53 paid to 12 people whose claims were accepted in 2020. There were 169 claims filed that year.