Potholes: A Major Problem Throughout Massachusetts
Look familiar? I'm sure it does. You've probably seen (and driven over) more potholes this winter, than you care to in a lifetime.
Trying to avoid them is difficult and can be dangerous, especially when driving in the dark. Sometimes your option becomes hit the pothole or hit an oncoming car or truck. However, hitting them can also be problematic. If you hit one hard enough, it can give you a flat tire and damage your rim...which can be costly to fix.
I hit a pothole last March, giving me a flat tire and a bent rim, and even after filing the appropriate paperwork for a claim, and after months of waiting...my claim was denied. It was denied because I submitted it to the 'City of Providence' where it happened, and apparently I was supposed to submit it to the 'State of Rhode Island', ridiculous. So, like I assume happens to many others, I had to eat the cost of the repair to the tune of about $350.
Fast forward to this year, the potholes are even worse than last year! I was driving through Seekonk last week and Rt. 114 heading towards The Grist Mill restaurant, I counted 14 potholes! I had a really hard time dodging them all, fourteen is insane!
Well, the State of Massachusetts feels our pothole pain and they are working on it, slowly but surely. There are just way too many potholes to keep up with! Plus, it costs money to fill these holes, and so far, the state of Massachusetts has spent over $400,000 filling potholes.
They are prioritizing pothole repairs, and according to the MassDOT deputy press secretary, Amanda Richard, the priorities are based upon “severity, location and traffic volumes in an effort to make repairs as efficiently and timely as possible.”
The best thing to do when you see a pothole is to report it. Work crews can't fix what they aren't aware of. Anyone who wants to report a pothole can call the MassDOT hotline at: 857-368-4636 or you can find them online, by going to the MassDOT website here.