MILWAUKEE — With the change in weather and melting snow, Milwaukee drivers are once again dealing with potholes.
On Monday, Milwaukee’s Department of Public Works (DPW) said they received 48 pothole requests.
Jody Hawkins and Jeremy Colbert work around the city. They avoid certain streets like North Avenue and Lisbon Avenue so they don’t hit the holes.
“It’s like you’re on a rollercoaster constantly going back and forth,” Colbert said.
“We’re constantly paying money for car repairs because of the potholes. You have people out here trying to find them but they’re bad,” Hawkins added.
DPW said they currently have four crews out city-wide working on potholes. That number will increase to six in March.
According to their website, "potholes usually develop in older pavements as water in cracks in the pavement expands and contracts as it freezes and thaws."
Along Lisbon Avenue, Amber Hafemeister said she sees people drive over potholes everyday.
“On my way to work, on this road, you have to swerve just to miss them,” Hafermeister shared.
Both Hafemeister and Hawkins have had to fix their cars last year after hitting potholes. They said it wasn’t a cheap fix.
“If you see a big enough truck drive after it’s raining, you can see the water splash up from the ground. I’m pretty sure that’s not supposed to happen,” Charles Black, a manager at Wisconsin Muffler on Lisbon Avenue, said.
He said they often get calls from people dealing with car issues after hitting potholes. While he said people should call them in, he thinks something bigger needs to change.
“What about the parking checker? Their job is to drive around the whole city. I’m sure they know where all the potholes are. They could write them down and send it to city,” Black explained.
If you see a pothole, DPW said to report it. As they get requests, they send teams out to fix them.
A DPW spokesperson said their current response time is 1-3 days.
You can call 414-286-CITY (2489), or enter requests online atClick4Action.
You can also report them using the MKE Mobile Action app.
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