Potholes in Athens are more than just a nuisance

Samantha Pompeo
sp306305@ohio.edu

One of the main topics discussed at Athens mayor Paul Wiehl's news conference this week was the increasing number of potholes throughout the city.

Mayor Wiehl said that the city wants to fix every pothole it finds, but that it isn't possible. According to Wiehl, if the city fixed every pothole it would cost more than a million dollars.


Mayor Paul Wiehl describes the process of fixing a pothole.

This past Saturday, Wiehl, city council members, and the director of the Athens Street Department, Andrew Stone, took a bus tour around the city to view the deteriorating road conditions. Each road was given a pavement condition report (PCR) number. The worse the pothole, the higher the number. City officials determined that the top third of the streets on the list need the most attention, and made fixing them the first priority.


Mayor Wiehl talks about the bus tour around Athens to view the roads.

Athens MidDay News is awaiting a copy of the street department's PowerPoint report.

If someone sees a pothole that he or she believes needs repair, the Athens Street Department's website has a link to report them. Mayor Wiehl said that even he has used this option to make sure the system is reliable and efficient.


Mayor Wiehl describes how to report a pothole and how your report is put into action.

The city hopes to fix most of the problematic potholes during the summer months, while most Ohio University students are not on campus.