Thrusday, January 14, 1999
Potholes close parts of highways
BY EARNEST WINSTON
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Jason Phillabaum saw it but he couldn't get around it.
The pothole that smashed the Taylor Mill man's tire was waiting for him on southbound Interstate 75 near the Mitchell Avenue exit Wednesday.
“It was bigger than I thought it was. I hit it and it blew,” Mr. Phillabaum said.
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GIVE US THE WORST
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The Enquirer is searching for the area's largest, deepest and most threatening potholes. Please email to gnoble@enquirer.com or call our reader hot line at 768-8602 with locations of the worst the ice/thaw cycle has to offer. We'll round them up and warn readers of the worst stretches of roadway.
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Just north of there, potholes have left a 5-mile stretch of the Ronald Reagan Highway in Hamilton County looking like it has been bombed.
In Northern Kentucky, lanes of I-75 in Walton are closed by the craters caused by the cycle of freezing water and thawing.
The Tristate's tumultuous January weather is the root of the problem. Potholes are formed when water creeps beneath the road surface. Temperatures drop, water becomes ice. The ice expands. It breaks the pavement and passing cars scatter the bits of asphalt, making the hole even bigger.
Road crews are out trying to patch the potholes. Wednesday was the first time crews used quick-setting concrete on the stretch of the Ronald Reagan Highway (also known as Cross County) in the Blue Ash and Amberley Village areas. The concrete appears to be more effective than the combination of special tar, sand and gravel previously used.
“At this point, we'll try just about anything. It's like the Air Force flew over it and dropped bombs,” said Larry Beck, maintenance superintendent for the Hamilton County Engineer's Office.
The potholes have closed eastbound and westbound curb lanes on the highway since Tuesday. After crews make those lanes passable, the left lanes in both directions will be shut down for repairs.
AAA Cincinnati said about 25 percent of its 1,098 emergency calls Wednesday were for flat tires. On an average day, 5 percent of AAA's 700 to 800 calls are for flat tires, spokeswoman Amy Frede said.
Marc Anderson, manager of Firestone in Covington, said the store usually repairs one flat tire a day. Lately, they've been fixing six to eight a day.
“I feel sorry for the elderly people,” said Ronald Smith, a service driver for Hubbard's Towing.
Mr. Smith said he's seen mostly front-end and tire-rim damage.
Among the worst potholes in Northern Kentucky are those on I-71/75's S-curve in Fort Mitchell and in the right lanes of northbound and southbound I-75 in Walton, said Charlie Meyers, a construction engineer for the Kentucky Highway Department. Both lanes on I-75 have been closed for repairs.
“This is going to take some major construction to redo them,” Mr. Meyers said, adding that crews may begin repairing the potholes today and could reopen the lanes in one week.
Mr. Beck said his department is working with Ohio Department of Transportation officials on whether they will reimburse motorists for damage to their cars as a result of potholes on roads in the county.
Motorists can call 761-7400 with complaints, and leave their names and numbers. Officials will respond.
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TO FILE A CLAIM
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To file a pothole claim with the city of Cincinnati, the problem must have occurred on a city street, says Anita Dobur, claims administrator in the city law department. Expressways, including on and off ramps, are within the state's jurisdiction, she said.
Write to the Cincinnati city solicitor's office, Room 214, 801 Plum St., 45202.
The time and location of the accident as well as a damage estimate and insurance information should be included. Claimants should include an address as well as a daytime telephone number.
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Drivers whose cars are damaged by potholes on streets in the city of Cincinnati will be reimbursed.
Though the city is not mandated to help drivers with repairs, Cincinnati sees it as a “moral obligation,” said Anita Dobur, claims administrator in the city law department.
Officials expect to see a typical number of claims of bent tire rims and damaged tires roll in over the next few weeks as the freeze-thaw cycle takes its toll on area roads.
If the claim is legitimate, the city normally covers costs not paid by insurance companies.
The typical complaint is tire damage.
“That's what we consider our basic pothole claim, anything outside of that we take a harder look at,” Ms. Dobur said.
Annually, the city spends a little less than $10,000 on vehicle damage claims including potholes. As of Wednesday, no pothole claim had come in for 1999, but Ms. Dobur said: “Wait until next week.”
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