KANSAS CITY, Mo. — If your drive on Ward Parkway has felt bumpier in recent days, you’re not alone.
In the last 10 days, at least a dozen folks have called the city to report the unsightly potholes along the major thoroughfare.
“There have been a lot of potholes out there. That’s just combined pavement condition, the moisture, and the freeze-thaw cycle as well as the traffic that we get on Ward Parkway,” Beth Breitenstein, a KCMO Public Works spokesperson, said.
With each springing pothole is another sign for public works crews that spring is here.
They fill 25,000 potholes annually. The peak months are March and April.
“You may think you’re all caught up and then the next week a few more pop up,” Breitenstein said.
This is also the time of year that the way potholes are patched up changes.
“As of about a week ago the plant is offering a hot mix and what that means it’s really a permanent fix whereas a cold patch is more of a band-aid,” Breitenstein said.
There are some spots on Ward Parkway where you just wonder why doesn't it get resurfaced, but that’s easier said than done.
“We do rely on a limited budget of about $2 million a year currently for that it is a limited amount of money for 6,500 lane miles of roadway in Kansas City,” Breitenstein said.
KCMO Public Works encourages folks to call 311 to report potholes, they aim to patch it up within five days.
