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Pothole-ridden west Indianapolis road costing drivers thousands of dollars, ruining some homeowners' property

Homeowners on Chelsea Road say the potholes aren't just causing damage to their car, but also ruining people's property.

INDIANAPOLIS — Christy Hayes has been relentless over the years when it comes to getting her road fixed on the west side of Indianapolis.

"If you're going down the street, you're like jumping," said Hayes as she mimicked jumping around. 

She said she's sent emails to anyone who she thinks can help.

"There's a brand new road that way, brand new road that way, brand new road that way. What's wrong with our road?" asked Hayes.

Hayes has lived on Chelsea Road, near West Washington Street and South Lynhurst Drive, most of her life. She said the massive potholes that she drives over every day haven't always been there.

"They came out and surfaced it in like 1996 when I was graduating high school at Ben Davis," Hayes said.

Homeowners say the craters aren't just causing damage to their car, but also ruining people's property. They say people will drive through their yards to avoid hitting the holes.

Credit: WTHR
Residents who live on Chelsea Road, near West Washington Street and South Lynhurst Drive, said potholes are causing many problems.

Tony Gibson lives directly in front of where the potholes are the worst. He said DPW has been out to try and fix the holes over the years, but the fix is merely temporary.

"When you fill potholes, are you supposed to fill them with water in it like that because this is what you end up with when cars drive over it. This is all asphalt they laid down to fill all these potholes, and it ends up right over here because everyone is driving over here and pushing it over here," Gibson said.

13News reached out to DPW on Friday for an interview.

Although they weren't able to speak on camera, they sent a statement writing, in part, "Following recent resident inquiries, Indy DPW sent a member of our stormwater team to evaluate the area and determined Chelsea Road is in need of a stormwater capital project."

The statement continued on to say that the department "does not have a timeline for when a fix can be implemented, but will continue analysis over time as budget will allow."

"I think there's enough money. There are enough people out here. I see them all the time. I see them riding around. There's enough people and money. Taxes we pay? We should have a nice road to drive on," Gibson said.

Homeowners also calling on City-Council Councilor Jared Evans, who represents the district, to do something. One constituent said Evans made promises during his campaign to fix Chelsea Road.

Credit: WTHR
Residents who live on Chelsea Road, near West Washington Street and South Lynhurst Drive, said potholes are causing many problems.

13News reached out to Evans for an interview, but he was unavailable.

He instead sent a statement in which he denied making that promise and stated, in part, "Funding constraints pose challenges, which is why it is crucial we prioritize projects that have the most significant positive impact on the daily lives of residents on the west side."

While speaking with Hayes again on Monday, Evans responded to one of her dozens of emails, at one point writing, "I'll be working with DPW to get a scoping report finished and a projected timeline on when we can address this."

Jaiden Ray takes the bus home from school. He said every time they drive down his street, kids and – even the bus driver – complain.

"It's like wobbly, and then, we like scoot over. Like, it just moves us," Ray said.

And while those living on Chelsea Road may be frustrated, one thing was also clear: They wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

"I mean, enough is enough. Come out and help. That's all we're asking. Fix our roads," Hayes said.

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