KANSAS CITY, Mo. — At this point in the year, public works crews across the metro are balancing the ever-constant issues of pesky potholes and inclement weather.
As of 5 p.m. Tuesday, KCMO's 311 Call Center had fielded more than a dozen pothole complaints.
Drivers try to avoid them if they can.
"If I can see it coming, I just go through it but you’ll see people swerve over on their lanes. It’s pretty dangerous you just have to be mindful," Tyler Olson, a driver from Liberty said.
Almost everyone who lives in the metro has their own pothole story
"It’s probably about three inches deep and I freak out every time I do hit it because I’m worried it might damage something," said Austin Rule, another driver said referring to a pothole on I-35 near Johnson Drive.
Philippe Lechevin, the owner of Papa Keno's in the Crossroads must navigate around them while doing deliveries.
"If we go on the side streets it could be difficult," Lechevin said. "This winter started pretty early this year so I’m pretty sure as we get back to January, February it might be a bit worse than it is right now."
Earlier this year, 41 Action News reported Kansas City, Missouri fills 25,000 potholes annually using $2 million from a limited budget.
Meanwhile, in the village of Oakwood, they switched from using asphalt to a polymer emulsion.
"It uses traprock which is a hard rock and it stays around. It grips the tires," said Dan Rouchka, chairman of the Village of Oakwood board of trustees.
It has saved the Northland community money and potholes are almost non-existent.
"It does not dry out like oil does, so it stays in there and so it has a lasting effect," Rouchka said.
They took an example from Overland Park who uses the same material.
"This time of year, it’s always really bad and even going into spring they’re trying to keep up getting them fixed," Olson said.
Pothole repair work in Kansas City is driven by 311 complaints. Residents call them or file a complaint online.
