Late Winter Has City Crews Behind On Pothole Repairs
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- With a summer-like sun drawing people to Minneapolis lakes, the winter thaw couldn't seem further away.
But it still sounds and feels like it's here when you're in a car. Hit the road on Pelham Boulevard in St. Paul, and it tends to hit back.
"I have seen rims on the side of the road, yes," said Douglas Baz. He lives on Pelham Boulevard. Although he doesn't own a car, he gets an earful when he orders a cab.
"They don't like driving down this road at all," he said.
Potholes are always a problem in the Twin Cities, but not usually this late into spring.
"We actually were in pretty good shape. We were well ahead of them coming into March and April," said Mike Kennedy, director of transportation, maintenance and repair for Minneapolis Public Works. "And then we had of course the crazy snows in April."
Who could forget that month? The same crews who would have been filling potholes instead had to plow streets.
And once they finished that job, they then had to sweep them later than usual.
"So consequently pothole repair is behind because it's the same people that do all of that work," said Kennedy.
The late snow also meant a later thaw that caused even more potholes. With the weather now back to normal, fixing roads can get back on schedule.
St. Paul Public Works has six pothole crews out working, sometimes logging overtime hours on Saturdays if the weather permits. Minneapolis has nine teams packing the craters in the pavement.
"We're back to where we should be as far as strength goes. A little bit behind on where we might have been had we not had the snows in April, but we'll get there," said Kennedy.
If there's potholes you feel are going unnoticed, both Minneapolis and St. Paul have ways reporting on their website.
