PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Whether you’ve seen one in your neighborhood or felt it as your car takes a dip, potholes are back in full force as Portland transportation crews respond to more for this time of year.
In the months after the winter storm that slammed Portland, roads are still taking a hit thanks to potholes, like one on Fourth Street downtown, so deep you can see the cobblestone underneath.
“We had 974 requests to fill potholes for the 30 days from February 28th to March 28th, the conclusion of that snow and ice event,” said Dylan Rivera with the Portland Bureau of Transportation. “We filled 1,678 potholes.”
PBOT crews are on pothole patrol thanks to an influx likely caused by February’s winter storm that blanketed area roads, more so than in years past.
“In 2021, the numbers were even lower. We had 389 requests and we filled 930 potholes,” said Rivera.
From downtown and the southwest to the northeast, every corner of Portland is feeling the impact. On Friday, crews were responding to multiple repairs in the Cully neighborhood.
“That one right there that they filled up, specifically, is one I hit every day,” said neighbor Tiffany Yeatts.
With reported potholes steadily climbing compared to recent years, the fixes can also be a sign of bigger repairs needed on city streets.
“Quite often we see streets we would like to grind, we would like to resurface, roughly half of our streets are in need of a resurfacing,” said Rivera.
Back in 2016 and again in 2020, Portland voters approved a 10 cents per gallon fuel tax for maintenance and safety, with goals of bringing at least $74 million in over four years, $13 million of that dedicated toward pothole and pavement repairs, so we’re asking if that’s being utilized here. PBOT says those funds are at work but more will be needed to fully repair many of the streets in need, which is why preserving current conditions through resurfacing and pothole repairs is crucial.
“If they get worse, they’ll need a rebuild and that doesn’t cost just a little bit more, that costs many times more money,” said Rivera. “The costs grow exponentially, the worse our streets get.”
If you have an issue with a pesky pothole in your neighborhood, take a picture, tag the location and let us know!
For roads in and around Portland here is a complete list of who to contact to get a pothole fixed.
PBOT also encourages calling the 24/7 maintenance dispatch at 503-823-1700 or reporting online through the PDX Reporter app.