There are 90 unrepaired potholes in Lubbock and the City’s Street Department is struggling to fill them in. The Street Department says they’re behind because of the weather. In order to fix the gaping holes in the roadways they need dry and warm weather. If you are on your commute and see a pothole, it is suggested to report it to the City online or over the phone by calling 311.
“We had our wet weather and we lost our most experienced people on our pothole patching equipment. We’re training new people so we are slower than we’ve been in the past,” says Mike Gilliland, the City of Lubbock Street Department, “But our goal is still going to be to fix these potholes in next days. We may be behind our goal for a while. But we’ll get back there.”
Gilliland says there are 90 reported potholes that are on a list to repair. In the meantime, it is highly suggested to go around these potholes if you see them on the road because it could be a costly fix. The repairs could be from hundreds to thousands of dollars. It could also take from 2-3 days or longer to fix.
“It entirely depends on the size of the pothole you’re hitting. I know we’ve seen vehicles that have hit fairly large potholes. It has led to several hundred dollars. But that’s fairly on the minor side. If you’re damaging suspension and steering components, I know it could be well over one-thousand dollars covering your repairs,” says Tom Benet, Christian Brother’s Automotive.
If you think your car is damaged after driving over a pothole, you can take your car to your local automotive shop for a regular road safety check.
“It’s completely free. You basically pull it in and you put your car up on a lift. We have one of our master technicians get up in your vehicle have a good look around. Make sure nothing is bent. Make your tires are okay. Overall, give you a report of what you’re looking at and the state of health for your vehicle.”