DICKSON CITY -- Winter and normal wear and tear have taken their toll on many roads around here but especially on a busy one in Lackawanna County.
Viewmont Drive near the mall is a treacherous spot to drive until a fix comes along.
Take a ride on Viewmont Drive and you may feel it more than most other stretches of road. The entire mile is littered with potholes; some are one layer deep, others more.
Mark Paczewski is sales manager at Gibbons Ford in Dickson City. The dealership only moved to the area of the Viewmont Mall early last year. Paczewski and other drivers have certainly taken notice of the condition of Viewmont Drive.
"The second snowfall, the road opened up and it's become a nightmare," Paczewski said.
Cars and trucks have to deal with massive pieces of macadam missing, swerving in and out of their lane of traffic, all until a fix is done.
"They're going very slow and they're also curving into the oncoming lane to avoid the potholes, a bit of a hazard," Paczewski added.
This busy road is the responsibility of the owner of the mall, a multi-million dollar company that for years now has patched the problem spots every spring.
And drivers are not very pleased.
"It's a rollercoaster out there. It's a shame, such a busy area. I'd like to think they have the money for it but I don't know," said one driver.
"It's ridiculous. It's been this way for months. I don't know why they don't pave it and do something with it," another driver said.
"It really needs to probably be done the right way this time. It's the third, fourth year it's been like this. They should probably do it the right way," said Paczewski.
The owners of the Viewmont Mall say they do plan to make more extensive repairs to Viewmont Drive this year than have been done recently.