Bend bringing on summer help to tackle pothole woes

The city of Bend said Tuesday it is hiring a three-person seasonal crew to take a proactive approach to fixing potholes all across town this summer.

Led by Bend Streets and Operations Department staff, the seasonal team will inspect all public streets across the city, repair as many potholes as possible and identify areas that need more extensive maintenance work, officials said.

When the city is notified of potholes, it claims crews typically repair them within 48 hours.

“This crew will proactively identify potholes and problems areas of our road system,” the announcement said. “They will start in northeast Bend and work their way around the city.”

The city said it will repair potholes with the additional crew over a two-month time frame. The funding for the additional crew, necessary signage, tools and equipment comes out of the streets maintenance budget.

However, the city also acknowledged that “a pothole repair is a temporary stopgap measure.”

City officials said the Streets and Operations Department practices a “keep good roads good” philosophy, which means it maintains and preserves streets with the most cost-effective treatment: the right treatment at the right time.

“Seriously deteriorated roads need to be fully reconstructed, which is not an efficient use of maintenance funds,” they said.

To report a pothole needing a fix, contact the Public WorksCall Center at (541) 317-3000or report potholes online.