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The end of winter might be in sight, but that also brings with it an increase in potholes.
Talk to a Sioux Falls driver, and they'll tell you roads are in pretty good shape.
"I think they're doing a pretty good job. Some parking lots are kind of iffy but other than that they're pretty good," driver Jared Brockman said.
However, potholes can and do pop up. A large one on 46th Street grabbed the attention of city crews who are getting an increased number of calls about potholes, each day.
"We've had some really wet snow and we're starting to get that fluctuation of temperatures like we see in the spring where it can get warm in the day then cold in the night, again. We're starting to see a little bit of movement as far as potholes go here," Sioux Falls Street Utilities Manager Galynn Huber said.
Filling holes is a multi-step process, but can start with a simple call to the city's pothole hotline. How long the pothole patch lasts depends on how wet it is underneath. It is nice and dry so they say these patches should last a long time.
This crew has spent the entire winter circling the town and filling potholes. That increases to three crews on the roads starting next week. That's because this is the time of year when potholes continually pop up, both new and old.
"With the moisture that might be coming in this weekend or Monday, those might loosen up and pop on us again even though we filled them up this week or last week. We've got to monitor them all the time," Huber said.
And while potholes will never be completely prevented, drivers appreciate the effort to keep their drive as smooth as possible.
"The winter makes it hard on the roads and everything; it's just something we've got to deal with," Brockman said.
One factor helping prevent some potholes is the amount of roadwork in Sioux Falls in recent years. Newer roads have a better seal that keeps moisture from getting under the pavement. The Sioux Falls pothole hotline is 367-8002. About six calls have been coming in each day.
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