Enormous pothole impacts businesses on Indianapolis east side

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A pothole on the east side has gotten so big that cars and truck have gotten stuck in it.

People who live and work around the area say the city hasn’t taken any action, so they took matters into their own hands.   

The hole is almost 3 feet deep and almost always filled with water. Standing or walking down the sidewalk will almost certainly guarantee a pedestrian will be soaked by a passing car or bus.

It was all-hands-on-deck to spread 20 tons of gravel that was delivered Friday morning to the corner of East Washington Street and Forest Avenue. The city government didn’t order the gravel. A business owner on Forest Avenue made the call and paid the bill.

Charley Powers and business partner didn’t order the gravel but did reach out to I-Team 8 with a complaint about this chuckhole. He says the city hadn’t taken any action, and the hole is hurting business.  

“It just got to the point I got an email from our gas vendor saying they are going to quit delivering to us,” Powers said.  

Powers said the chuckhole appears every year, and the city every year dumps asphalt into the hole.

“It has never been good. They have never come in and ground everything up and put in a new base and repaved it. They just come by with a patch truck and try to patch the hole and it doesn’t last at all,” Powers said.

He says he and other business owners this year have filed complaints with the Department of Public Works and the mayor’s office. I-Team 8 found three open service requests for the intersection. Powers frustration with the city is reaching a boiling point.

“You see crews out working every single day — and I know I’m not in charge — on places that are not horrible. Maybe we should start with places that are horrible and impeding businesses,” Powers said.

I-Team 8 sent photos to Public Works on Friday but did not not hear back.

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