SEATTLE – The morning commute in Seattle is about to get a lot smoother. The city has increased the number of pothole crews from three to nine after the November rains, followed by the December freeze, resulted in an explosion of more potholes on city streets.
It's a very bumpy ride on Delridge Way NW, where a pothole crew has worked for three days filling the craters. Interactive map.
"Thank God for the pothole crew because my shocks are messed up," said a resident as he walked by and gave a thumbs-up.
The city is facing a backlog of more than 1,000 requests and complaints about potholes. The crews are playing catch up to repair the streets.
"It puts a lot of wear and tear on cars tires, brakes and suspension goes out a lot faster," said Gil Farrell, who delivers auto parts to Ty's Auto Repair shop on Delridge. Shop owner, Van Ly, said customers complain that the street is damaging their cars.
Seattle is far short of the mayor's promise of filling a pothole complaint within 72 hours. With the extra Pothole Rangers on the job, they're hoping to be back on track in a few months.
