ST. INGATIUS- Potholes are becoming more visible all across the state.
There are around 20 potholes in less than a ½ mile stretch of St. Mary's Drive in St. Ignatius, with the biggest one being 5 feet wide and a couple of inches deep.
A pothole this size could shock the front of cars if a low-riding car were to go into a pothole this size.
“It’s becoming a hazard. And the more truck traffic that goes down that road the more damage is caused,” said St. Ignatius Police Chief Jason Achenson.
Certain roads aren’t able to hold heavy equipment and trailers, but Chief Achenson says that’s still happening.
“We see large trucks, tractor-trailer trucks, delivery trucks, construction equipment that will sometimes use that as a shortcut to an alternate route instead of going down to a specific address," Achenson said. "And that heavy truck traffic continues to beat up the roads and make the potholes bigger."
There is a sign that is posted on the north end of the street that says “No Trucks”. While there is not a sign posted on the south end of the road, city code still applies.
Chief Achenson told MTN News, there have been extra patrols on the road to make sure that only smaller vehicles going down the road. Drivers who are pulled over could face a $300 fine and he offered some advice.
“If you have a project, construction site, delivery to do — because we have UPS trucks and tow trucks check with us first — and make sure everything is good to go. We’ll work with you."
While some of the roads are being maintained by the state, St. Mary’s Drive is maintained by the city. But due to several different factors, two being cost and manpower, the potholes haven’t been filled yet.
“We’re a small community and we rely on grants and funding to survive that’s just the nature of it. The crews that we do have that are working do the best they can with what they got and we appreciate that. But there is a combination of cost and availability and getting people up there to do it,” Achenson said.
