LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Every year, Louisville's 'Pothole Blitz' coincides with an annual nuisance at the end of Steve Soriano's driveway.
"Every year, the same pothole comes back," Soriano said on Monday. The Bashford Manor resident reported the hazard on the Metro 311 app. "It is very easy, and it obviously works because here we are, getting it fixed."
But when the homeowner put the request in, he didn't expect Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg's help filling in the gaps.
"I want to thank every one of the hardworking men and women that are part of the public works team that do this job day in and day out," Greenberg said, moments before picking up a shovel himself.
Adam Raymond followed after, riding the roller and squishing out the fresh, steaming asphalt. The satisfaction of the job reminded him of the waterbed he had in the eighties.
"When you get on it, you can kinda just smash it and roll with it," he said.
In his ten years at the department, Raymond filled thousands of potholes. This year, crews like his are up to 23,000 filled already after a sudden shift in weather during March tore up local roads earlier than expected. But better weather is ahead.
"Today, our roads and operations crews transitioned from snow plowing, tornado debris removal and making Derby 150 the best Derby yet, to our Pothole Blitz initiative, which will continue their work of keeping roadways safe," Public Works Director Jennifer Caummisar-Kern said.
With the blitz in full swing, five crews with 11 people on each are fully focused on making repairs just like these.
You can report potholes in your own neighborhood using the Metro311 app on Android or iPhone. There's also an online website for reporting and the phone number 502-574-5000. That's for any local road.
Interstates are managed by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, which has its own forms for pothole reporting and damage reimbursement claims.