CLEVELAND — It’s that time of year — pothole after pothole. As frustrations grow among drivers, the city and state say they’re filling them as fast as they can.
"You can't get a fresh cup of coffee without spilling it halfway to work. You know, you go up my street, it's just one pothole after another,” said George Thomas.
There are plenty of them, especially on Rocky River Drive, an area Thomas has lived for nearly three decades and says he’s fed up.
"Nothing is being addressed. Our roads haven’t been addressed for so many years," said Thomas.
But it’s not the only bumpy street in the area. Last week on social media, viewers sent us dozens of roads to check out. So, we wanted to make sure they were being filled — starting with ODOT, which says crews haven’t stopped.
"We actively fill potholes all winter season long. If we're not plowing snow off the road or salting the roads, we are out filling potholes,” said Brent Kovacs, ODOT public information officer for District 12.
So far, ODOT says it’s used 100 tons of patching material in Northeast Ohio — 28 tons less than this time last year — but the worst may still be ahead.
"Really, it's too early to say. We've had such a cold winter that the roads are staying well below zero, staying frozen. So if there's potholes out there, a lot of them may be filled with ice and really haven't shown themselves yet,” said Kovac.
As for the City of Cleveland, Tyler Sinclair, a city spokesperson, met us on Rocky River Drive, where crews were out today filling those craters.
"We have had multiple crews out last week. We had multiple crews out here today, from as far west here as West Park, as you can see, to University Circle, to as far east as Collinwood,” said Sinclair.
But he says the biggest challenges are time and manpower.
"There are so many potholes. There are so many mile lane miles in the city. So here's a fun fact for you, the city has 3000 lane miles in the entire city,” said Sinclair.
Both ODOT and city officials are asking for the same thing: patience — and for drivers to report potholes when they see them.
"These men and women are going to be working out there to fill the potholes for you so you can have a smooth ride to wherever you're going,” said Kovac.
As for Thomas, he just wants his road fixed.
"I would like to see the whole area paved. I believe they owe us that much,” said Thomas.
If you’ve had damage to your car because of a pothole, you can file a claim with the city click here.
