Officials say pothole season will last into early spring

Potholes are rapidly popping up all over the city due to changing temperatures and Mid-Missouri weather.

A local resident says she has to constantly serve around all the potholes. “I would love them to actually work on the streets, literally the other day, I was talking to a friend about how there are so many potholes in the road,” she said.

An expert at Columbia Public Works told ABC 17 the weather is to blame for the potholes. Temperature changes and water under the asphalt weaken the pavement.

ABC 17 spoke to a tire shop who told us how harmful these pothole can be on a car, “it can actually break the cords and steel inside a tire and ruin the tire. It also if it hits hard enough, it can ruin the wheel,” said Lee Stidham, own of Lee’s Tire Company.

Stidham also told us that it can throw the car out of alignment. He said it is best to swerve right or left around the pothole.

Columbia Public Works said they will fix the potholes in one or two business days if you notify them. “We’ll either get someone out there as soon as possible to fix it, or we’ll notify the agency that maintains the road,” said Barry Dalton, officer of Columbia Public Works.

He told us you can contact whoever maintains the road, either MoDOT or whichever county the road is located. If you are not sure who maintains the road, you can call Columbia Public Works and they will be sure to get their crew out there to fix it.

Columbia Public Works phone number is (573) 874-2489 and their email address is pubw@coMo.gov.

MoDOT covers the state roads and highways, you can call (573) 751-3322.