SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — As Sioux Falls continues to widen streets clogged with snow, crews have also spent the past two weeks fixing potholes.

Last year, crews in Sioux Falls patched 10,000 potholes. Now it looks like 2023 is trying to top that.

“Any time you have a lot of snow, a lot of moisture, you’re going to have a lot of potholes,” Street Operations Manager Dustin Hansen said.

Street Operations Manager Dustin Hansen says the city received a record 6,700 pothole repair requests in 2019, and believes we could approach that number this year.

“If the winter continues as it’s going, if we continue to get a lot of moisture, a lot of snow, a lot of those freeze/thaw cycles, it could be a record,” Hansen said.

A single crew will fill about 100 potholes per day, using around 80 bags of rock asphalt.

“We try to do our busiest intersections at night but this past weekend, Saturday and Sunday, we had to hit some of those major streets and so we just got to get out there when we can,” Hansen said.

“41st and Louise, it was bad,” Equipment Operator Rusty Braden said.

That’s where Equipment Operator Rusty Braden spotted a hole in the pavement.

“Like that, and like that (describing pothole),” Braden said.

As for how long it takes this three-man team to patch a pothole…

“It varies, like this can take a few minutes, where that big deep one took us 15 minutes or so,” Braden said.

As crews fill hole after hole, Hansen has this advise for drivers.

“Workers are out there, they’ve got flashing lights on their equipment, they’re wearing high visibility, make sure you slow down for them. They’re trying to get these fixed as fast as possible,” Hansen said.

If you spot a pothole that requires attention, visit the city’s Pothole Reporting page.