KENTUCKY — Recent icy weather, along with harsh road salt, have opened some gnarly potholes on Kentucky roadways.
Potholes occur year-round, but winter weather accelerates their development as the freeze-thaw cycle of water is the main issue.
Pesky potholes cause over $6 billion a year in damage across the U.S., and auto repair shops in Kentucky have noticed an uptick in business after last week's winter storm.
It's tempting to just swerve around the craters and forget about them, but there are ways you can help get them filled.
Louisville
The Louisville Metro area is no stranger to potholes, as you can see in this map of reported potholes as of Feb. 10.
You can report the road hazards to Public Works through this online form with details including location, street type and a description of the hazard.
After reporting a pothole, users can check back in on the map to track each report's progress – from submitted to received and, eventually, completed.
Lexington
The Department of Streets & Roads takes care of pothole repairs in the greater Lexington area. Citizens can report a pothole on any city-maintained street by calling LexCall at 311, or dialing (859) 425-2255.
To report a pothole on state-maintained roads, call (859) 246-2059 or (859) 246-2355.
Reporting roadway issues unrelated to potholes can be done through this online form.
Bowling Green
Pothole complaints can be reported to Bowling Green's Public Works department between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. by calling (270) 393-3628. After hours, citizens are encouraged to report any dangerous potholes to the 911 non-emergency number.
Citizens can also fill out a service request here.
Northern Kentucky
Most cities in the Northern Kentucky area all utilize Public Works crews to patch and repair potholes on city roadways. Covington residents can use the city's iWorQ Service Request app to fill out a work order for potholes.
However, a lot of primary roads in Northern Kentucky are maintained by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.
To report potholes on state highways in Northern Kentucky and around the state, drivers can visit KYTC's Report-a-Hazard form or call 1-800-PATCH-IT.
-
