KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The common nuisance of potholes continues, and Kansas City, Missouri's Public Works Department says efforts to address the issue have not stopped.
So far in 2020, the 311 hotline has received 4,229 reports of potholes, according to department spokesperson Maggie Green.
Green explained the department closed 3,786 potholes cases. 443 reports remain open.
"Our crews have been out there patching potholes. There are significantly less in the 311 system this year than last year at the same time. So that's encouraging that we're kind of getting ahead of it and people are getting used to reporting to 311," she said.
Green added that some notorious problem spots - like Wornall Road, 39th Street and North Oak Trafficway - get attention from maintenance crews on a weekly and bi-weekly basis.
Longer-term solutions to deteriorating roads, such as resurfacing, require a number of considerations.
"We're looking at things like pothole reports. We're looking at the roadway conditions and the ratings and how bad or good the roadways are and all that information helps us determine what we resurface every year," Green explained.
The spokesperson said $17 million has been dedicated to this year's street resurfacing program, the same amount as last year. She said it's too soon to tell how the pandemic will impact the department's budget going forward.
People who see a pothole are encouraged to report it to 311.
