INDIANAPOLIS -- You've heard people say that Indianapolis' potholes are worse this year, that they are as bad as in recent memory.
Well, the people are right.
Indianapolis has driven over more potholes in January and February of 2018 than in any January and February of the last 10 years, according to data released by the Indianapolis Department of Public Works.
There have been 12,701 potholes in Indianapolis through Feb. 21. The annual average for that timeframe? 4,278. And don't forget, there is still a week missing from the data -- Feb. 22-Feb. 28.
"For anyone to say we're not doing our job, these chuckholes weren't created overnight," DPW Director Dan Parker said. "This is 50 years of under investment. What I would say is help is on the way."
DPW is planning another "pothole blitz" next week, focusing on the heavily traveled streets.
The multiple days of below zero temperatures caused freezing under the surface of the pavement. The resulting thaw has created thousands of potholes across the city.
Thanks to the weather, DPW hasn't been able to fill the potholes this week. The hot patch used is oil-based -- oil and water don't mix. A cold patch formula the city uses isn't effective since it can either wash away or break apart in a short amount of time.
There is a different cold patch meant for cool and wet weather that also offers a permanent fix. But It's much more expensive for the city.
The best thing for you to do is to keep reporting the potholes to DPW. To report a pothole, the best way is to contact the Mayor’s Action Center at 317-327-4622, or by using the RequestIndy portal.
More pothole statistics:
- Feb. 2018 had the third-most potholes of any month in the last 10 years. It trails March 2011 (8,119) and March 2015 (8,679). Again, the data provided by DPW only goes through Feb. 21, so there is still space to grow.
- Through Feb. 21, 2018 Indianapolis already experienced more potholes than in some full YEARS. In 2012, 2013, and 2014, Indianapolis only had 7,526, 9,693, and 9,628, respectively, for the entire year.
- If history proves true, we're in for more pothole trouble. Over the last 10 years, March is the worst month of the year for potholes, with nearly 1,600 more on average than the next-highest month.
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