INDIANAPOLIS — UPDATE: Indy DPW said crews filled more than 7,900 potholes Tuesday and closed 535 pothole service requests.
Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett joined Indianapolis Department of Public Works crews Tuesday to fill potholes throughout the city.
Crews are working overtime in 10-hour shifts to fill as many as they can, with more than 7,200 potholes on the list.
They are also using hot-mix asphalt to fill the holes. The new mix allows crews to do “strip patching,” where the top layer of asphalt is removed and replaced.
Despite the increased effort, Hoosier drivers say they are frustrated.
“My husband was just leaving his warehouse at work and literally pulled out onto Franklin Road and busted his Volkswagen tire,” said Lindsey Morris.
Morris and drivers like her are constantly having to swerve to avoid damage.
“I’m not drinking and driving. I’m literally just trying to dodge potholes, so I don’t bust my own tire,” she said.
If you do hit a pothole, it’s not a cheap fix.
“We’ve spent a whole paycheck on just replacing tires and wheels in this past six months,” said Selah Frank.
Many of those unlucky drivers find themselves heading to an auto repair shop.
“It’s been pretty bad so far this year. We’ve seen an increased number of cars coming in,” said Dustin Sparks, a service advisor at All Star Tire & Auto Service.
Sparks said business is booming right now with the number of potholes on the roads.
“Today alone, we put on 30 to 40 tires from people being towed in, bent wheels, stuff like that,” Sparks said. “If that happens, you are looking at 300 to 400 bucks on average for a tire and wheel repair.”
He said even those who fix them aren’t immune to the problem.
“We had the store manager come in today and he almost got towed in this morning from a pothole. Two tires, two wheels and a wheel repair, just from hitting a pothole on Fall Creek Road this morning,” Sparks said.
His best advice is to avoid the pothole, but if you can’t, Sparks suggest slowing down.
“The best I can say is just ease into it the best you can. Don’t go head-on. Kind of point at it. That way, it doesn’t hit directly on it, and you may save yourself some money in the long run,” he said.
In the meantime, Hoosier drivers continue to dodge the crater-sized holes as DPW crews try to catch up.
“I give respect to the women and the men in the field that work on them every day, but it is frustrating,” said Peter Reynolds.
Indy DPW filled about 24,600 potholes so far in 2022, with about 2,000 being done last week.
Click here to report a pothole in Indianapolis
To see the map of potholes that have been reported, click here.
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