With the transition from winter into spring, everyone's favorite chuckholes have returned to roads all over Central Indiana. While potholes seem to be a major inconvenience to drivers all over the state, the Indiana Department of Public Works (DPW) has resumed filling them. While many people believe that the process of filling potholes is a slow process that takes all summer, there are thousands of these across the Indy metro area. So far this year DPW reported 871 fewer pothole reports than the 6,468 it received in 2024. So far this year DPW says they have filled 40,000 potholes.
Potholes are formed when water freezes on roads or in cracks on roads, and when it thaws, it deteriorates the road causing major cracks and potholes. During this time, car travel deteriorates roads as well, making the matter worse off in some instances.
Potholes are most notably known to pop tires. When a car drives over one of these holes in the road, tires can get punctured by the sharp edges of the concrete, leading to the hassle of having to get a tire replaced or wheels realigned. The cost to have tires replaced or wheels aligned is not cheap. In fact, many Indy residents have had to shell out thousands of dollars to have their cars repaired. In 2024, over 44 million Americans said they had to pay for a repair to their car after hitting a pothole. This amounts on average to about $26.5 billion in damage per year.
DPW uses hot mix during warm months to be able to fill potholes; however, if that doesn't work and a road is damaged enough to where filling potholes is too much of a task, the road will be resurfaced.
Indianapolis residents are able to report potholes through the Mayor’s Action Center. They have a hotline open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. However, “Request Indy” is another way to report potholes online and takes reports 24/7.
Avoiding potholes is very challenging, especially for those that stretch across the road, but it is asked that drivers do not swerve into oncoming traffic, or put themselves in a harmful situation when avoiding a pothole. It is important to note that hitting potholes at a high rate of speed increases the chance of damage to a car, as well as injuries to those inside the car.
For those who ride motorcycles, potholes are extremely harmful to the rider, as well as the motorcycle itself. If a motorcycle hits a pothole, the motorcycle may lose balance and the rider can be thrown off.
According to experts, being safe and smart when driving near potholes is paramount to the safety of those on the road. Potholes are bound to happen in Indiana, so drivers should expect to have to acclimate to the environment they are driving on.