CLEVELAND — Car repair shops across Northeast Ohio are getting flooded with damaged tires to fix up or replace because of all the troublesome potholes popping up in the region.
All the while, the city of Cleveland is racing to fill those holes up to save drivers from the headaches that can come from driving over them.
The city of Cleveland told 3News they have 10 to 12 crews working to fill potholes across the city's 10,200 main and residential streets. Officials assured us that they inspect every single pothole complaint that they get. They report having received 119 total pothole service requests since the start of the year.
Director of Public Works Frank Williams said all these potholes are to be expected each winter in Northeast Ohio, but the last couple weeks have been slowing down their repair work because of all the precipitation we've been getting.
"That has been really the circumstance that causes us to struggle a bit in keeping up the weather," Williams explained. "We've been getting a lot of precipitation. The freeze-thaw cycle has hurt us as well to keep up, but we have been constantly and consistently putting out crews daily to work on potholes, even on the weekends where the weather allowed."
Williams said main roads are the top priority because of their heavier traffic and higher speed limits, then residential roadways are investigated and prioritized based on how dangerous they are.
He further explained that when holes are fixed in the winter, the material used is only a temporary fix until spring. In warmer months, a hot asphalt mixture is used which permanently repairs the hole.
Safeway Tire on 623 Superior Avenue in Cleveland told 3News on Wednesday that since November they've worked on at least 100 vehicles with damaged tires.
Even as we were there, they were working on almost 10 cars with blown tires, cracked or bent rims, or even worse damage to the actual vehicle – all due to potholes.
Their repair specialists said they feel bad for all these folks coming in.
"I feel sorry and just hope that I can help," said Safeway Tire Sales Manager Warren Bradford.
Bradford and his crew are recommending people drive more slowly right now.
"Drive a little bit slower than you want," Bradford said. "Even if it's in a 35 miles per hour, try to do 25 so you can be aware of what's around you."
And they empathetically shared that as fellow drivers, they literally feel everyone's pain.
"I hit them every day," said tire specialist Paul Curran. "Some of them you can't avoid. You got traffic next to you. People in front of you. You don't see it. You just hit it. They’re going to tear your car up. That’s how it is in Cleveland anyway.”
To report a pothole, you may contact the city of Cleveland Citizen Support Specialists at 3-1-1 or 216-664-2000.
Vehicle damage can be reported to the Cleveland Department of Law Claims at 216-664-2859. They are open on weekdays from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Claimants will be required to fill out claim forms. The Law Department will review the claim and determine if the claimant is entitled to reimbursement for damages.
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