'Our goal is 3 days': City encourages drivers to report potholes for DPW to fill

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- We're all looking forward to opening our windows and driving on a warm summer day, but the one thing that gets worse as the weather warms up are the roads. 

The city of Milwaukee says it receives about 40% of all its pothole reports this time of year.

"The ground freezes," said Jerrel Kruschke, the city of Milwaukee's engineer. "Underneath the pavement buckles, cracks, heaves." 

As spring approaches and the ground starts to thaw again, it creates prime pothole conditions. No part of the city is left untouched. 

"It's pretty widespread as you drive around from north to south it's pretty uniform," said Kruschke. 

The Milwaukee Department of Public Works (DPW) anticipates it will fill around 400 potholes a month. 

The process is multi-step. Crews first have to remove old rock created by the ground shifting, then they fill it with new asphalt before stamping it down. The city hopes to get out to each reported pothole within a few days.

"Our goal is three days. Even during the winter season. Sometimes that moves depending how many pothole requests come in," said Kruschke. 

Acting Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson showed up to 36th and Nash in Milwaukee where one of eight crews were out filling potholes on Tuesday, March 29. He encouraged drivers to report potholes as soon as they experience them.

"Its very important though that the residents of the city, commuters, visitors that they report when they see or experience potholes so we can get them filled," said Johnson. 

Starting April 4, the city plans to have more crews out filling potholes. On average they fill about 8,500 a year.