Pothole Palooza targets road damage following extreme winter

The city reports patching more than 6,000 potholes during a one-week span in April, bringing the reported total to more than 25,000 in 2023. The city expects to patch 30,000 potholes by year’s end. Photo by Rob Ware.

In early April, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall announced Pothole Palooza – a dedicated, week-long effort to repair potholes citywide and improve road conditions after a long winter.

“We are coming out of an intense winter season, and our City streets are showing wear like many of us haven't seen before from snow, salt, snowplows, and extreme temperature changes. Pothole Palooza is our effort to have a big impact in a short time frame and noticeably improve City streets right away,” Mayor Mendenhall said in announcing the work. “I can’t wait to see how much good work our City crews will complete this week.”

During the event, more than 70 Street Division employees focused exclusively on the pothole repairs. The crews responded to the submitted requests as well as proactively filling potholes they found on their own. The process incorporated an intentional effort to equitably distribute the resources throughout the city, including areas where not as many requests are submitted, such as the Westside, but where potholes exist just the same.

Crews use hand-tools and pre-mixed asphalt in truck beds to spot-patch potholes that are reported and that the crews find themselves. Drivers are asked to give them a wide berth during the ongoing work. Photo by Rob Ware.

This was a mobile operation and didn’t require road closures, and crews utilized hand tools for spreading and tampering asphalt, keeping noise levels to a minimum.

“Our team was extremely happy to be part of this event,” said Public Services Director Jorge Chamorro. “We’re making all of our resources available to take care of our streets ahead of the construction season and make everyone’s daily commute a bit safer.”

Safety is also important for the city employees doing the work, so drivers are asked to follow the direction of the flaggers and leave enough space when passing crews and trucks.

Pothole Palooza’s original goal of 6,000 potholes had been surpassed as of mid-April, but the crews will continue to respond to pothole reports throughout the year in an effort to reduce the number of safety hazards that potholes create on the roadways. According to city estimates, crews have already patched 25,000 potholes in 2023 and are on pace to patch over 30,000. That’s more than twice the annual average of 14,000 over the past three years.

Residents can track progress or learn more about Pothole Palooza on this website: slc.gov/mystreet/2023/03/30/potholepalooza/. Residents are also encouraged to submit repair requests via myslc.gov or by calling 801-535-2345.