Thawing Temps Bringing Fresh Potholes To City Streets
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago drivers can't be blamed for feeling a bit of collective angst as a bumper crop of potholes has turned many streets into the seeming equivalent of an off-road adventure through a rocky canyon.
WBBM Newsradio's Dave Berner reports one cab driver said he thinks the worst stretch of road in the city is Stockton Drive, near LaSalle Drive, not far from Lincoln Park Zoo.
"Very bad. Very hard to drive," he said.
Another driver who uses Stockton on a regular basis agreed.
"That particular stretch there I drive all the time, both to go to work and to the gym, and it's about as bad a stretch as I can see in the city," he said.
The street there has crater after crater.
City crews have been busy for weeks filling more than 215,000 potholes so far this year, thanks to a particularly brutal winter that has seen more than two dozen days at or below zero, and more than six feet of snow.
Drivers understand the city is doing the best it can, but are frustrated nonetheless, especially when they see one pothole filled, and another pop up right around the corner.
The combination of snow, salt, and changing temperatures has created cavernous potholes on many streets.
"There's one that looks like it's a sinkhole," one man said.
You can report potholes by calling 311, or visiting the city's website. City officials have said they try to fill all potholes within 7 days of receiving a report.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel has ordered an audit of any recently repaved city streets, to enforce a one-year warranty on asphalt.
If any potholes have cropped up on streets that were repaved in the past year, the city will force contractors to pave them again, or reimburse the city for the cost.
The city also has been working on a plan to resurface more streets this year, in hopes of reducing the number of potholes that must be filled next year.
You can email us photos of the worst potholes in your neighborhood, or send them to us on Twitter.