Tulsa Mayor Announces Pothole Patrol

This week's winter storm is playing havoc with Tulsa's streets so Mayor Kathy Taylor is pledging to fix potholes.

Thursday, January 29th 2009, 12:11 pm

By: News On 6

By Tara Vreeland, The News On 6

TULSA, OK -- As soon as the ice disappears, potholes start to pop up. Mix a little snow and ice with sunlight and warmer weather and you've got a recipe for potholes. City of Tulsa crews are working to clear roads of ice and snow, but in anticipation of potholes, they are asking you to report the trouble spots before they get worse.

Most streets are covered with ice and slush, but beware of the potholes lurking underneath.

"Something that may start out as the size of a quarter or a simple crack overnight, depending on how much moisture is there, can be a huge pothole. I mean literally overnight," said Tulsa Street Maintenance Manager Darren Stefanek.

The startling jolt drivers experience when driving over a pothole can mean expensive repairs for their cars. When out driving around town, watch out for potholes, slow down and don't hit the brakes when driving directly over them to prevent damage to your vehicle.

Using the brakes causes the car's weight to shift to the front of the wheel and can increase damage from the impact. Watch out for water that may be hiding a deep pothole. And, keep full air pressure in your tires to put a cushion between the pothole and the rim of your tire.

Reporting a pothole to City of Tulsa Public Works could ensure the pothole won't damage someone else's vehicle.

"We've had several calls which we've responded to first thing this morning. We had to pull some crews off of plowing and have them go ahead and start fixing a few potholes," said Tulsa Street Maintenance Manager Darren Stefanek.

Stefanek promises to have a temporary patch in the reported pothole within 72 hours, if the weather allows.

"I don't think we're going to get a break. I think you're going to have potholes," said Tulsa Street Maintenance Manager Darren Stefanek.

The Pothole Patrol is only for City of Tulsa streets, not state maintained expressways. To report a pothole, you can call the Mayor's Pothole Patrol at 596-2100 or you can go online to report a pothole.