Potholes continue to pose problems for Milwaukee County residents

 

MILWAUKEE COUNTY, Wis. (CBS 58) -- If you've driven anywhere throughout Milwaukee County this week, chances are you've encountered a pothole or two.

The Department of Public Works said they are working as fast as possible to patch up the holes.

"We are targeting certain streets that we know are in bad shape, and certainly as temperatures go up are going to - that's going to result in more potholes," said Chad Chrisbaum, with the City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works.

But despite the department's efforts, some Milwaukee County residents remained hesitant about the progress of the county's workforce.

"This chair could actually tip over. If I hit one, it will tip over," said Carl Russ, a Milwaukee County resident.

Russ, a 61-year-old man, navigates the streets of Milwaukee using his motorized wheelchair. Russ said making his way through town over the past couple of weeks has been difficult because of the potholes.

"All these streets on Miller Park Way, they shouldn’t be like this," said Russ.

The 61-year-old is not alone. Driver Lianna Curtis said she's also had some close calls with the craters.

"I thought I broke the rim, bent the rim of my tire, it scared me," said Curtis.

The potholes form after freeze-thaw cycles, causing contraction and expansion in the pavements and posing a big risk to drivers.

"They mess their front end up by hitting potholes, see a lot of tires ate up on the inside from hitting potholes, knocking their alignment out of line," said Dwight Cobb, of Two Brothers Automotive.

Cobb said hitting a pothole can be costly.

"Sometimes to get the whole front end, it's going to cost you about $2,000," said Cobb.