INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indianapolis Department of Public Works spokesperson Corey Ohlenkamp said his office received 1300 complaints about potholes around Indianapolis.

“They’re all over the county,” Ohlenkamp said. “This is something we face north, south, east and west, from county line to county line, as we go through the next few days, we’re trying to address as many of them as we can.”

Several days of rain kept crews from filling the potholes. Workers started filling some of them Friday.

“All of our crews that just got done on a two-week snowplow standup. They came in, got the snow equipment put away, and said, ‘Here’s a shovel. Here’s a tamper. We need you to get back out on the roadways and start patching up those potholes,’” said Ohlenkamp.

A dramatic shift from cold temperatures to below-freezing temperatures and back over the past two weeks caused the pavement to expand, creating potholes.

“The cold mix we’re using right now still works and it still is a fix, but as moisture breaks the seal of where it bonds to the actual road, more water gets back into those potholes as we hit cold weather again, things freeze and that patch can tend to pop up,” said Ohlenkamp.

Blades from snowplows and the wear and tear of daily traffic also cause potholes.

Ohlenkamp said long-term projects, such as stormwater maintenance and sidewalk repair, will help control flooding, which in turn will stop potholes from forming.

“Moving into 2024, the capital budget plan calls for $284 million (dollars) in transportation projects and over $799 million in stormwater projects,” said Ohlenkamp.

Potholes can be reported at the Request Indy website. INDOT also has a pothole reporting website.