For the Chicagoans out there...

"RW53104" (rw53104)
02/07/2014 at 13:33 • Filed to: None

Have you noticed how insanely bad the potholes have gotten this year? I've lived in the city for 3 years now (suburbs before that) and this has got to be the worst I have ever seen the roads. I drive mostly in Lakeview/Lincoln Park/Gold Coast/River North areas, and it's TERRIBLE. I'm legitimately concerned for my wheels and suspension, but the potholes are sometimes unavoidable- ie, spanning the whole width of the road for half a block.

Anyone have similar feelings? Insights into why it's so bad (I'm assuming the frigid weather)?

I've heard you can bill the city if you do experience damages due to these insanely huge holes, but I'm weary of how well that all ends up.

Bonus points for including pictures of your most ridiculous potholes!

DISCUSSION (29)

spanfucker retire bitch > RW53104
02/07/2014 at 13:36

Oh god. The potholes we have this year in Western New York are insane. I've lived here for 18 years and have never seen the roads in such bad conditions. The thing is, it doesn't matter where I travel - they're all just atrocious. Amherst, Buffalo, Lockport, Newfane, Williamsville, etc, etc. I've already taken to changing my commute to avoid Sweethome, as well as Old Beatty.

I cringe to think of the road work that's going to occur when Winter ends.

Mazarin > RW53104
02/07/2014 at 13:37

I commute between Palatine and Glenview/Northbrook and it's basically an autocross course all the way down Palatine/Willow Rd.

SkarTisu > RW53104
02/07/2014 at 13:37

Seeing the same thing in the Minneapolis metro area. This winter has just been brutal.

BeaterGT > RW53104
02/07/2014 at 13:38

I'm surprised I don't get pulled over at night for all the swerving to avoid potholes I do. In South Jersey, can't even call them roads anymore.

RW53104 > spanfucker retire bitch
02/07/2014 at 13:40

My exact thoughts- all this means is more road closures/parking restrictions come spring. AAAAH!!!

RW53104 > BeaterGT
02/07/2014 at 13:41

Same here. Sometimes, there's just not even anywhere to swerve, it's like a million potholes joined together to create a massive uneven terrain, made worse by the shoddy repairs of past damage.

RW53104 > Mazarin
02/07/2014 at 13:42

I haven't seen anythign nearly as bad int he suburbs, but I'm sure it's worse than normal, as you say. I think I'm just always so gracious for semi-smooth roads and cheap gas when I'm Northwest that I let everything slide!

$kaycog > RW53104
02/07/2014 at 13:45

I live in a small town in Southern Colorado, and the potholes are ridiculous at this time.

Jeremy H formerly Kalakaboooom > RW53104
02/07/2014 at 13:50

It's the same over here in the D.C. area, they do a shit job of filling them in, and they get worse, one right outside of my post actually developed itself into a nice little ramp. There is a street near that same pothole, where they dug up the road to do some work, and did an absolute shit job filling it in and it just gets worse and worse. It seems the further from D.C. you get the better job they do filling in the roads

Jeremy H formerly Kalakaboooom > RW53104
02/07/2014 at 13:52

Got kinja'd, wont let me edit, so sorry for the double post:

I've heard you can bill the city if you do experience damages due to these insanely huge holes, but I'm weary of how well that all ends up.

I have heard that too, but I remember during hurricane sandy that a tree fell and smashed a car, and they tried to sue the city, but the city said they won't pay because no one complained. So my advice would be, take pictures, e-mail and call, and record all of that information, so if your car does break down on the areas you complained about, make sure to take pictures, have it towed (so a neutral party can say yeah it's that road) and then take it to the city and be like "Hey, fix this"

DrPain55 > RW53104
02/07/2014 at 13:53

I live in Northeast Indiana and make a few trips to Chicago and they do seem bad this year. They aren't much better here either...not sure if its just all the snow and insane negative temperatures or what but its awful.

Also lived in Michigan for awhile and they plain ole don't give a shit up there.

RW53104 > Jeremy H formerly Kalakaboooom
02/07/2014 at 13:56

Great points.

RW53104 > $kaycog
02/07/2014 at 13:56

Any worse than past years?

StoneCold > RW53104
02/07/2014 at 13:58

The year before last was intense in the Arlington Hts/ Prospect area, they finally got around to fixing some of them just as I left for DeKalb last fall.

Takuro Spirit > RW53104
02/07/2014 at 13:58

I'm not a FIB but up here in Milwaukee it's BAD. Not just the potholes, but the pavement heaves and expansion joints.

They've even put warning signs along the highways (BUMP) at the bad ones.

Aaron James > RW53104
02/07/2014 at 13:59

Winter is hell on roads. At least while you are swerving to avoid the pot holes, you make it harder to be hit by gunfire.

chicagoE36 > RW53104
02/07/2014 at 13:59

I'm just west of you in River West/West Town. You're right: it hasn't been this bad in forever. Have you had the happenstance of hitting that crater in the right hand lane on Fullerton under the overpass just west of Ashland? You can get $$$ out of the city for damages, but it's a tremendous pain in the ass and they'll take forever to cough up the dough. Apparently, our pharaoh Rahm doesn't mind taking our bread, but god forbid we should actually get any services for what we shell out.

$kaycog > RW53104
02/07/2014 at 14:03

Most definitely. There's always the usual potholes every winter, but I've noticed this week that there are a lot more.

RW53104 > chicagoE36
02/07/2014 at 14:16

Oh yes. And it's even worse just west of that at 94. Lincoln Ave is terrible through lakeview; Southport sucks everywhere; Halsted is a shitshow (though they fixed some); luckily they FINALLY smoothed out the road under the Metra bridge at the Clybourn Taco Bell... That was a mess. And that TB is amazing and deserves better.

Jonathon Klein > RW53104
02/07/2014 at 14:24

I am on 137 and 60 every single day, any they are getting completely out of hand, I feel like I need to drift all the way home just to dodge the potholes....wait that sounds fun....BYE! No but really they are just terrible.

RW53104 > Jonathon Klein
02/07/2014 at 16:21

Except that you would ultimately catch a foot deep crater with a wheel and tumble end over end into fiery explosion, creating yet another crater in the roadway.

Or fall into one altogether and never come out again.

livedeliberatelychic1 > RW53104
02/07/2014 at 16:26

When I was living in Rogers Park, the potholes would be the pits. It'd be even worse when they were patching them up, because traffic would be stopped up.

Bummed to hear about the potholes in Lakeview. Looking at possibly relocating!

Jonathon Klein > RW53104
02/07/2014 at 16:26

Maybe we should just classify them as sinkholes? Although this might get co-opted by politicians and to just say "we aren't responsible for Chicago's terrible roads, it's the planets fault, war on the planet! To combat them, I need to take a couple million and put it in my personal bank account and go the the Bahamas and discuss with those that deal with sinkholes more often then we do, for at least a year or two."

RW53104 > livedeliberatelychic1
02/07/2014 at 16:48

Lakeview's a great area and I would recommend it to anyone! Potholes, and the following construction in the Spring is a nuisance but I'm assuming it's no worse than anywhere else. If you're coming from Rogers Park, you're mind will be blown by the relative plethora of parking anyways, so you won't even notice the bad stuff! Haha.

RW53104 > Jonathon Klein
02/07/2014 at 16:49

Perhaps we could employ our record number of criminals to fix them. Employ people, fix the roads, problem solved.

48Chevy > RW53104
02/07/2014 at 18:14

Living in River North area for 20 yrs. Every winter is bad for potholes, but this is the worst I can remember.

BrownMiataDieselWagon > RW53104
02/07/2014 at 20:01

I drive on part of Harrison everyday, between Halsted and Ashland. Awful. There are crater-sized potholes. I'm surprised my shocks are still intact.

BrownMiataDieselWagon > BrownMiataDieselWagon
02/07/2014 at 20:02

Will snap pictures tomorrow

livedeliberatelychic1 > RW53104
02/08/2014 at 10:24

Parking...the ever elusive beast!