They’re annoying, dangerous and when filled with water, deceiving. Now that the Seattle Department of Transportation is finished with the winter storm, the Pothole Rangers are out filling those pesky potholes.

Pothole on Clise Pl W and W Howe St

“Freezing weather and heavy precipitation mean that we’re seeing more potholes. We’ve added dollars to respond to pothole repair requests,” said Mayor Mike McGinn. SDOT has $9 million available to address street surface repairs, which includes potholes. About $8.5 million of that is earmarked for main arterials.

Click here to report a pothole. Keep an eye on reported potholes on the city’s pothole map

The city wants you to let them know if you encounter a pothole that needs to be fixed.  Mayor Greg Nickels today encouraged residents to call the city’s pothole hotline at 684-ROAD (684-7623) as the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) turns to clean-up operations after our recent winter blast. 

You may recall that when he was elected, Nickels pledged the city would fill any pothole within 48-hours. He says that commitment remains today, and four crews of so called Pothole Rangers are dedicated to pavement repair across the city.

“Ice and snow are not kind to city streets, but we’re providing relief to smooth out the ride,” said Nickels. “We’re asking the public to tell us where to go first, and we’ll add additional Pothole Rangers if needed to get the job done.”

Asphalt is best poured in dry conditions. With intermittent rain forecast for Seattle, SDOT is filling most potholes with “cold mix” – asphalt and gravel. SDOT will return in warmer weather to pour a more permanent solution.

SDOT rwill respond to residents’ calls first, and then will fix potholes spotted by city crews.