Potholes are popping up around Bend; city crews tackle them, urge drivers’ caution

City says crews strive to fill them within 48 hours of being reported, seen

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- With the recent snowstorms leaving moisture in the asphalt, and all those freeze-thaw cycles in recent weeks, potholes have been popping up all over Bend.

City Transportation Mobility Director David Abbas said Tuesday they’ve accounted for 309 potholes since the beginning of October, compared to 247 in the same time frame last year.

"We try to get them all," Abbas said Tuesday. "Whether we see them ourselves or they’re called in, or submitted on the citizen service request line. You know, our policy is to really get potholes patched up within 48 hours.”

But with so many of them showing up, so are people’s frustrations.

A Chevron gas attendant said he's lived in Bend for a year and has noticed poor street maintenance.

“It’s just the potholes just keep getting bigger, and all they do is fill it up with whatever they fill it up with, some kind of mix," Bruce Decker said. "It ends up within a couple of weeks going back to the same thing. A Band-Aid on a leaking dam.” 

Abbas said to help maintain the roads, they’ve invested in an asphalt recycler a couple years ago, which they use to occasionally apply a hot mix asphalt patch in the winters.

“What that allows us to do is recycle asphalt grindings from our summer street preservation projects," Abbas said.

They also use cold patching, especially for emergency situations.

Abbas advises people to drive with caution, to avoid problems.

Decker said, “A customer come over here about maybe half an hour or 45 minutes ago, and she was telling me she ruined two of her rims on potholes in Bend."

However, the potholes are not just a threat to drivers.

At the intersection of Northeast Third Street and Revere Avenue, the crosswalk is scattered with potholes, a sign that pedestrians and bicyclists also need to be cautious.

Decker recalled an incident when he was riding his bike and almost collided with a vehicle, to avoid falling over a pothole. He suggests drivers create enough distance from the car in front of them, so they can see potholes in time.

“Fair to say we’re not done for the winter yet, so be ready, and be careful, and allow time for the travel," Abbas said.

If you see a pothole in Bend, you can submit a citizen service request.