SCRANTON -- It is a rough ride on a lot of roads throughout our area. Several weeks of bitter cold mixed with some warm weather has potholes opening up all over the place.
In Scranton, some drivers say it's the worst they have seen in years.
Driving on some streets in Scranton can be like an obstacle course. On Boulevard Avenue in the city, we found drivers doing their best to avoid some car-crushing craters in the road. But those drivers can only do so much to avoid the potholes in the roads. Sometimes you can't miss them.
"Oh, they're just bad. Every year is bad but I think this year is the worst."
"Terrible! Yep, got to watch your car."
"It's bad, you know. I just got new tires on my car and I'm trying to not break the shocks or other things in the car. They're just a mess."
Drivers can get pretty frustrated seeing potholes go untreated.
"I don't think they want to do it. They don't want to do it until they have to do it in the spring,” said Stuart Bailey of Clarks Summit.
There are even potholes right near City Hall, but city officials say they do try to fix the holes in the road. It's just not easy this time of year.
"Perfect combination right now,” said Scranton DPW director Mark Dougher. “We had real cold weather, we had lots of rain, and we have lots of cold weather right now. That will create a lot of potholes."
With the temperatures being so cold and all the winter weather, the city has had to prioritize elsewhere. The DPW director says they've had to plow streets and deal with icy streets where water run off on roads is freezing in spots all over the city.
"It's just a repetition thing. We try to get them as soon as possible when we have the manpower."
Even the pothole right in front of city hall that was patched is coming loose. Cold patches this time of year don't always hold so well. So it's best to drive carefully.
“Several of my friends have broken a rim on their tires it's so bad, and they're unexpected when you see them, so it's pretty severe this year,” said Jane Roberts.
Scranton has $2 million dollars to pave streets this summer but that doesn't solve the pothole problems now.