ST. LOUIS – A pothole we found last week on the corner of Skinker Boulevard and Clayton Road in the shadow of the Amoco sign was our most dramatic example of potholes in St. Louis. It seemed like the Grand Canyon when looking from the inside.
Now—it’s patched, with smooth and trouble-free turning as city crews have filled the crater.
But there’s no such luck on Market Street next to Harris-Stowe State University. It still looks like the surface of the moon in places. Hubcaps on the sidewalk could be a sign of damage caused. We also spotted a new hole that has just opened up. It looks like an underground cavern that streets commissioner Kent Flake suspects is a sewer.
“After this interview, I’m going to get with our partners over at MSD and let them know about this location,” Flake told us.
The streets commissioner says he knew there would be potholes that would remain past their two-day goal. They aim to increase efficiency by sweeping entire areas rather than bouncing around.
“Drivetime kills you,” Flake said, “Even if it’s just 5-10 minutes between potholes, it adds up over a day.”
One of the five crews is a rapid response team that will chase the big ones.
The overall results? The city reports filling 300 potholes since our report one week ago today. But more have also appeared, with a total of 268 new ones reported in that same time.
“We’re at least gaining, which is a good thing,” he commented. “Just bear with us. Keep reporting. We love to have that information.”
You can report potholes online and track the repair progress on the City’s dedicated pothole page here.