SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — It can be a bumpy ride on some Sioux Falls streets, all thanks to potholes.
Tuesday afternoon, Jon Voigt and a city crew were moving along 18th Street, filling potholes as they went.
It’s a problem created by the constant freeze thaw cycle.
“We know the town is in rough shape, but we’re trying our best and that’s all we can do right now,” City of Sioux Falls equipment operator Jon Voigt said.
So far in 2023, city crews have responded to nearly 2,200 pothole reports.
Keep in mind one report typically means several potholes.
That’s more than all of the requests last year.
“We’re about two months ahead on pothole season. We typically don’t start potholing until spring or about now,” City of Sioux Falls street maintenance supervisor Chad Sundvold said.
Sundvold says crews have been tackling potholes seven days a week for the last eight to ten weeks.
As pothole season continues, Sundvold’s advice for drivers is to stay alert and slow down on the roads.
“We see people going really fast. Slow down and you can avoid most of these. I’ve been in Sioux Falls my whole life. I’ve never popped a tire, never bent a rim,” Sundvold said.
And of course, be sure to give plenty of space to people like Voigt and the rest of the crew.
“When they see flashing lights, we’d like them to give us our room, slow down. We all want to go home at the end of the day too and we’ve had a lot of near misses,” Voigt said.