LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Potholes along I-64 put drivers on the side of the road Wednesday near the Blankenbaker Parkway, leading to blown tires and unexpected repair costs.
Kristen Mefford was one of those unlucky drivers. She was headed home after a full day of teaching.
"Bills are expensive. Kids are expensive. Life is expensive," she said. "It's hard when you don't have much wiggle room or extra money to put out for this kind of stuff because the potholes are everywhere."
The pothole was so deep, it popped her tire and warped the wheel.
"With rim, tire, installation, everything, it's right at $600," Mefford calculated.
While the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet fixed some of the potholes on I-64, they say the rain and lack of fresh hot asphalt caused a few repairs to crumble. "The work is never really over," spokesperson Morgan Woodrum said. "But we do go back in the Spring and of course use that hot mix which will do a more long term repair."
Since those potholes appear on an interstate, it's the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's responsibility to patch them. Maintenance on city streets like Zorn Avenue are maintained by Metro Public Works. They're sending pothole patrols out early this year because of an unusually warm January followed a week of frigid winter weather.
Potholes form when water fills cracks in the asphalt. When that freezes, it expands and splits up the road. After warm temperatures melt the ice, what's left is a hole that wears out easily.
To fix it, the crew clears the loose crud. Then they tack the edge with tar before shoveling in hot fresh asphalt. Finally, they smooth it out with a roller.
"We normally get 10-15 work orders come in a day. Sometimes it's 25, sometimes it's less, but whatever gets called in through 311 is what we attend to," said Mike Nolan, assistant director of public works.
Currently, they have three crews regularly working day and night to repair the roads. In Spring, they usually have around ten working on the issue, but pothole season struck early.
If you get a popped tire or damage your car due to a pothole, you can try and file for reimbursement.
To file for a reimbursement with the city, you can call 311 and ask for risk management. You can file a reimbursement form with the state if you believe they were negligent in repairing interstate roads.
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