Maryland State Highway Administration Has Already Spent $2.1M On Pothole Repairs This Year
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Pothole problems continue in Maryland, as road crews scramble to keep up with the constant crumble and more drivers are ending up in the shop.
Thanks to rain and snow, crews are struggling to handle the demand, and it's costing drivers.
However, business is booming at body shops across the state, fixing the bent rims and bubbled tires.
"Tire damage, rim damage, suspension damage," said Christopher Storms with AAA.
Storms said he has seen lots of these cases this year. The damage from a single pothole can ring up hundreds of dollars in bills, especially on older cars.
"We just did a rim up in Frederick. One of the customers had hit a pot hole and broke the stud off the tire, and the tire came loose. That tire itself was $350 from the dealership to replace that one wheel," Storms said.
From state highways to city streets, the punch outs in the pavement are everywhere, and as drivers know, sometimes unavoidable.
"Pretty bad, I mean, you can even see scrapes on my rims and everything else from what I assume are the pot holes. Yeah, I think they're pretty bad," said Erik Segasser, a victim of the roads.
"It kinda messed up the axle on my car. 'Cause I drive a stick shift and it has five speeds, and now I've got just four left," said Aldrin Doh, another driver.
295 between Baltimore and DC is an extreme case.
Neglected and underfunded by the federal government, Gov. Hogan had sharp criticism for those in charge.
"It's outrageous and unacceptable. I mean, they have potholes practically swallowing cars. They had to lower the speed limit because it's so dangerous, and yet they're not fixing it," Hogan said.
As Maryland doles out millions in patchwork fixes before the official start of spring, drivers are keeping an eye on the roads and a close eye on their wallets.
"I'm always cringing because I know my car is not about to be in a good situation," said Aldrin Doh, driver.
The state pays for rough winters too. The Highway Administration has spent $2.1 million on pothole repairs through February and are expecting to spend another $1.5 million- about a half million dollars more than last year.
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