The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is taking a swing at the battle against potholes, launching a two-week initiative dubbed "Pothole March Madness," which started yesterday, to repair the damage left by winter storms, the organization announced this week. The campaign is aimed at addressing the aftermath of Portland's winter rage, where potholes have become a regular nuisance for commuters, whether they're driving, biking, walking, or rolling.
Potholes, caused by water seeping into cracks in the asphalt and then freezing and expanding, thereby weakening the road, have proliferated following the January storms. The roads' frozen surfaces were subjected to the constant pressure of snowplows and heavy vehicles, including buses and fire apparatus. The onslaught lasted the entire duration of the storm, according to PBOT in the City of Portland news release. Between January 24, just after PBOT's response to the fierce winter storm, and February 26, crews filled close to 3,000 potholes throughout Portland, according to the bureau's own tracking.
It's part of the city's commitment to address pothole reports swiftly, typically patching up the road scars within a 30-day window of being notified. When crews are dispatched to a reported pothole location, they make it a point to not just fix the reported nuisance but also any other potholes that have defaced the vicinity hoping to make a smooth ride for all, according to the City of Portland.
Residents weary from dodging these urban craters can take solace in knowing that PBOT is on the case, seeking to mend the streets and remedy the rough patches that have become all too familiar sights in the cityscape, they’re passionate about restoring the roads to their pre-winter glory, as reflected in the proactive "March Madness" campaign wherein teams will delve into the streets in a spirited attempt to reclaim the thoroughfares from the clutches of disrepair.
