-
Feb 7, 2008 10:29 pm US/Central
-
Digg |
Facebook |
E-mail
|
Print
Surge In Potholes Plagues Chicago Drivers
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
This has become a pothole season like most have never seen. The changing winter weather is ripping up roads, and flooding the city with complaints.
Even winter veterans who've driven over, under, around and through plenty of Chicago potholes were stunned by the size of one whopper in Kenwood.
"Obviously it's terrible," said Chicago Department of Transportation Commissioner Tom Byrne. "We understand that it's terrible. It's the freeze and thaw of what's going on out here. We can't get a real decent dry day to try and attack it."
Here's one measure of just how bad this winter has been. Byrne said on February 7 last year, the 311 system had 160 requests pending for pothole repair. As of Thursday, there were 5,649 pending, with 415 calls having come in Wednesday night alone.
City Hall is paying attention.
"We go through this every year," said Mayor Richard M. Daley. "Every year we have a pothole crisis and we have to handle it as quickly as possible. And that's what we're doing. They take the deepest, the strongest ones… that's what they have to look at."
Potholes are caused by the so-called "freeze and thaw" effect. That's when moisture in pavement cracks freezes and expands, over and over again.
The temperature extremes recorded since the first week in January are to blame for the freeze and thaw cycle, and the resulting potholes.
Auto repair shops are seeing more and more pothole damaged cars.
"A lot of front end problems, a lot of bent rims, a lot of tire problems, belt shifts in the tires, going out of alignment," said auto shop manager Dennis Peterson, describing the most common damages he sees due to potholes.
And big money can be involved in those damages. The cost for replacing a snapped off rack and pinion assembly is $700.
CBS 2's Mike Parker and Mike Flannery contributed to this report.
(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)