ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — This year, Rockford’s street crew is trying to get ahead of the pothole problem by asking residents to report them.

“Year to date, so far in 2019, we have patched about 86,000 potholes,” said Mitch Leatherby, Street Division Superintendent for the City of Rockford.

With winter and the freezing temperatures from last year, Leatherby says it took a community to find and fill the potholes, who used the City’s Report a Pothole program.

“So far, year to date in 2019, we’ve got 3,800 requests from citizens of specific potholes that we patched. Last year, in its entirety, for the year, we got 2,200,” Leatherby said.

Tony Bove, owner of Bove’s Auto Repair, at 1118 Ferguson Street, says he’s seen an increase of tire damage from potholes.

“The problem we see with cars during pothole season is rim damage,” Bove said. “So, when a car hits a pothole, it’ll actually cut the tire and make a bend in the rim, causing you to replace the rim and the tire at the same time.”

The City is working to make sure all the potholes are filled before Winter fully hits.

“Our request volume is low right now, so that’s why we are reaching out to the public, to let them know [that] if there’s any specific areas that need to be patched, that need a pothole patched, to call us and let us know, so we can schedule crews to go and take care of them,” Leatherby said.

On average, it takes crews between 48 and 72 hours to fill a pothole once a request is made.

“We put down approximately 4,000 tons of asphalt patch material this year,” Leatherby said. “Last year, we put down 2,200 tons. So, we’re almost double where we were in 2018.”

MORE HEADLINES: