PBOT ‘chasing hundreds of potholes’ after January’s arctic blast
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – After January’s arctic blast left a trail of downed power lines, trees, and icy roads across Oregon, the Portland Bureau of Transportation says it’s working to repair hundreds of potholes after the storm.
PBOT fills thousands of potholes every year, and recently upped their staff from three to five pothole crews after the storm, PBOT Public Information Officer Dylan Rivera told KOIN 6 News.
After storms, it’s common for a “flurry” of potholes to develop on roadways, Rivera said — explaining they form when water seeps in cracks on streets, leading the pavement to expand and weaken.
Could Portland see another February snowstorm in 2024? Here’s what NOAA projects
While PBOT does not have a count for the number of pothole reports they have received since the storm, Rivera says the agency fills about 10,000 potholes a year and receives about 2,000-3,000 pothole reports from the public — with some reports possibly being duplicates of the same pothole or reports outside of PBOT’s jurisdiction.
After storms, PBOT receives additional reports, Rivera said, noting, “we’re out there chasing as many potholes as we can.”
Now, PBOT is urging Portlanders to report potholes to help the agency pinpoint needed repairs.
Don’t rush your taxes: Oregon’s record-breaking kicker awaits
Portlanders can report potholes by calling PBOT’s 24/7 maintenance operation dispatch at 503-823-1700.
Potholes can also be reported on the PDX Reporter website, where users can create an account, and attach photos and location details of potholes to PBOT.
“We’re just chasing hundreds of potholes right now. It’ll take time for us to really be able to compare with previous years,” Rivera said. “Certainly, the winter of 2016, 2017 was very severe. We had multiple snow and ice events over the course of several months. Schools were closed for almost two weeks’ worth of days over the course of several months. And so, 2017 we had more than 3,000 reports of potholes that calendar year, but it took time for those reports to come in.”
When will I receive my Oregon state tax refund?
“Often, after severe winter — like 2016, 2017 — it takes months to get through all the pothole reports that we have,” he said — noting the Fixing our Streets program has historically helped PBOT respond more quickly.
While potholes are a citywide issue, Rivera says they are more prominent in older neighborhoods, west of Interstate 205, and in Northeast and Southeast Portland.
The PBOT spokesperson says the best way to prevent potholes is preventative maintenance through PBOT’s “grind and pave” program, in which crews grind off about an inch of asphalt and replace it with a new layer.
Thousands of Oregonians to receive unclaimed $10M from Treasury
“We are constantly trying to grind and pave as much as we can on arterial streets all over the city,” Rivera said – highlighting recent grind and paving projects in the last few years on Northeast 33rd Avenue, NE Tillamook, SE Tacoma in the Sellwood neighborhood, and W Burnside.
“When we see these opportunities to do a grind and pave project, we know that that can prevent potholes from occurring for years and years — some say more than 10 years depending on conditions, depending on further maintenance as many is 20 years,” Rivera explained. “So, if we continue to invest in our maintenance program, continue to invest in preventive street maintenance that can prevent potholes from occurring, even in these winter storms.”
According to PBOT, there are still more than 20 road closures in the city from downed trees during the storm. The agency is working with the forestry division of Parks & Recreation to clear critical routes — including W. Burnside, Skyline, and routes to hospitals.
‘Only one pathway forward’: AMR stresses short-term fix, Multnomah County chair refuses to budge
“The trees have also, in addition to blocking some roads and travel lanes, they’ve also added debris to our ditches and to the drainage system in general. And so, we’re having to keep an eye on those drainage ditches and the racks that conduct stormwater because as we get spring rain events, we need to make sure that system is clear and ready to handle stormwater and not blocked by down tree debris and other limbs and leaves and other tree debris,” Rivera added.
“PBOT crews worked really hard in this January series of storms and terrible conditions on icy streets in the middle of the night to help everyone get home safe. And it’s important for everyone to realize those are the same folks who work year-round to provide preventive maintenance — like grinding and paving the asphalt, clearing trees and other debris out of our ditches and other storm drains to help everyone get home safe 365 year-round. So, we really appreciate the public’s help in reporting potholes to us. And we appreciate the public support for street maintenance and the programs and the staff who not only respond to these critical weather emergencies but are working year-round to make sure our streets are safe and well maintained.”
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.
