City of Columbus

City of Columbus Repaired 34,838 Potholes During Four-Week Intensified Pothole Repair Effort

City of Columbus pothole patching crews fixed 34,838 potholes during a four-week intensified pothole repair initiative that ran March 23 – April 18.   The pothole crews are the same employees who serve as the City’s Snow Warriors.

 “I am so proud of our pothole patching crews for all the hard work they are doing to make our streets safer,” said Mayor Michael B. Coleman.  “Once again, they are demonstrating their commitment to improving the quality of life in Columbus.”

 The city will continue to repair potholes, as pothole repair is conducted year round.  In addition pothole repairs, the City is investing $33 million in to resurface more than 240 streets citywide in 2015.

 Prior to the start of the intensified pothole repair effort, City crews repaired 55,463 potholes between January 1, 2015, and March 22, 2015.

From March 23 through March 28, street maintenance crews filled potholes 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as weather permitted. From March 29 through April 18, crews worked from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., weekdays, with an additional overnight shift Sundays through Wednesdays, as weather permitted. Potholes cannot be repaired during snow, ice and rain events.  Prior to March 23, street maintenance crews repaired potholes throughout the winter of 2014-15, as weather permitted.

 Residents are encouraged to report potholes throughout the year by contacting 311 at 645-3111, or online at www.311.columbus.gov or by using the MyColumbus Mobile App.  Residents are asked to include the location of the pothole by referencing:

• The name of the street where the pothole is located
• The address of a home or business closest to the pothole
• The direction of travel (northbound, southbound, eastbound, westbound) where the pothole is located
• The lane in which the pothole is located if it is a multi-lane street

Residents are also reminded to not use the MyColumbus Mobile App while they are driving and avoid being distracted drivers. Both the state of Ohio and city of Columbus prohibit texting while driving.

The just-completed four-week pothole repair effort was funded through the Department of Public Service’s Street Construction Maintenance Fund.

                                    City of Columbus Pothole Patching Fact Sheet     

(* - Followed snowiest February in Columbus history)

(** - Followed second coldest February in Columbus history)

• The City of Columbus patches potholes on City of Columbus streets and parts of State routes 315, 33 and 104 that are in the City of Columbus. ODOT is responsible for patching potholes on I-70, I-71, I-270 and I-670
• Columbus’ Pothole Patching crews are responsible for 6,387 lane miles of roadway, more than Cleveland and Cincinnati combined. A lane mile is defined as one mile of roadway multiplied by the number of lanes in the roadway.

The process for patching potholes begins different ways:

• Residents contact 311 (call 311 or 645-3111, online at

www.311.columbus.gov, using MyColumbus Mobile App, Facebook at Columbus Publc Service or Twitter @ Columbus DPS) to notify the City of the location of a pothole.  Please include an address or nearest address of a home or business where the pothole is located to help us serve you better.  The locations are then forwarded to the Department of Public Service to be scheduled for patching, or

• In addition to 311 requests, Department of Public Service crews are routinely deployed to locate and patch potholes.  These deployments are standard practice that works in tandem with 311. 
• Patching potholes is a City of Columbus priority:
• Potholes are typically patched within three days after a service request is filed. This standard may vary because of a very large volume of potholes being reported or a snow, ice or rain storm during the patching process.

• Cold patching potholes:
• Cold patch is a temporary fix designed to repair potholes until they can be hot patched during warmer weather in the spring and summer if the cold patched hole reopens
• Cold patch is less expensive ($105/ton) than hot patch purchased during the winter from a private vendor ($120/ton)

• Hot patching potholes
• During winter, hot patching is most effective above freezing (32°).
• However, hot patch, at 300 degrees, does not bond well with the dramatically colder pavement in cold winter weather, including cold temperatures above freezing.  Therefore, cold patch is typically used during winter months.

• Columbus Pothole Patchers have other job responsibilities including, but not limited to:
• Snow removal
• Street cleaning
• Alley surfacing treatment
• Mowing
• Underpass cleaning
• Graffiti removal