Update: West Seattle potholes fixed at site a driver warned about

| Safety | Transportation | West Seattle news

(UPDATED 11:56 AM – scroll down for photos of pothole crew in the area)

If you’ll be driving Sylvan Way/Orchard between High Point and Delridge today – Gary sent that photo to warn you about the potholes by Home Depot‘s north entrance: “Watch out as this caused damage to my vehicle over the weekend.” That area’s apparently been rut city for awhile; this WSB Forums thread started by mentioning it two weeks ago. As noted here in storm last month, many West Seattle potholes lost their fill in the recordsetting mid-December rainfall; driving many major West Seattle streets this morning, we noticed that Alki/Harbor Avenue shows signs of recent repairs. But more may be on the way, according to this story by Mike Lindblom of the Seattle Times (WSB partner) – he reports the city’s adding pothole-repair crews starting today to deal with a major backlog resulting from more than a thousand December reports!

11:56 AM UPDATE: WSB contributor Deanie Schwarz says the “Pothole Rangers” went this morning to the area shown above – she caught up with them along another spot of Sylvan Way:

She says it looks like they filled most of the holes along a significant stretch from Home Depot westward. Reminder – to report a pothole or other serious road hazard, the city hotline is 206-684-ROAD. You can also make a report online.

Brendan January 3, 2011 (6:48 am)

My brand new Mazda3 hit the big hole,(shown here in the middle) on Thursday. I had to limp back to the dealer on my spare and buy a new $200 tire!! You can’t see these potholes and you can’t see how deep and dangerous they are since they’re water filled. My rim was also damaged. VERY DANGEROUS to life and limb. I’m pissed and I’m going after the city for damages.

velo_nut January 3, 2011 (7:18 am)

Sorry for the damage to your vehicle but you should save your money and time… You won’t get squat out of the city for any damages.

me on 28th Ave SW January 3, 2011 (7:34 am)

The city of Seattle does pay out for pothole damages. http://www.king5.com/news/local/More-Potholes-111893264.html

John M. January 3, 2011 (7:43 am)

I lived near there two years ago and drove that road all the time, and I can tell you the stretch right by the Home Depot has been riddled with pot holes for much longer than a couple of weeks. It’s a perennial problem. The city fills them in and new ones appear. Some roads seem to be unusually susceptible to them for some reason.

Mac on Harbor Ave. January 3, 2011 (7:49 am)

I’m not sure where the reporter was looking on Alki/Harbor…but there are plenty of unfilled potholes and I haven’t noticed ANY of them being filled in the past several
Months! Let’s not start the “elitist”…they get more than we do
Dialogs again! Remember…we pay taxes just the same as you!

WSB January 3, 2011 (7:59 am)

I’m your firsthand reporter on this one, Mac. I was driving east/southbound yesterday morning along the tall-condo building stretch, west of Duwamish Head, sorry I don’t know exactly what block number but same exact stretch where I photographed the fill material littering the road after The Big Rain (see the link), and there were at least 10 in a row over a couple blocks that had since been filled. Most likely the past few days, as we drove that same stretch a couple days ago and I would have noticed then. Has nothing to do with the haves vs. have nots – with the popular beach and restaurant district there bringing people from outside West Seattle too, I would hope that road would be a priority. Especially given the crowds that flocked to the fireworks the other night. Anybody who sees the Pothole Rangers out today (and beyond), let us know and/or send a pic! – TR

kate January 3, 2011 (8:48 am)

A few weeks ago I emailed WSDOT about potholes along Beach Drive around the 4500-4600 block. Within 30 minutes of my email they called me to verify the location and two days later they were out filling them. I was impressed.

Ken January 3, 2011 (8:49 am)

Thursday night about 5:15, the pothole truck was working about 50 ft east of the photo above. It looked like it had already filled the ones in the photo at that time. Of course it was dark and there were still a couple dozen and a stream of water a little ways west and south up the hill. I may have dodged them even if filled since I know where they usually form and a filled pothole still looks like a dark hole.

When is the time stamp on that photo?

Mac on Harbor Ave. January 3, 2011 (8:50 am)

Sorry, I get a little crazy when I hear my neighbors in other parts of West Seattle complain that all the work gets done on
Roadways in the north part of West Seattle. I travel from
My home on Harbor to Arbor Heights several times a day and
can tell you 1st hand that these roads need to be re-paved…especially 35th, California & Delridge (which has several “sink holes” that could do serious damage to ones
Vehicle! You are right about the amount of traffic on Alki/Harbor…it’s a bunch…especially on sunny days!

Bill Bacon January 3, 2011 (9:29 am)

Call the Pothole Rangers Hotline. You can get it at the city’s community service center off 41st and SW Alaska Street. I don’t have their number handy, but I’ve called these folks before and they’re “right on it.”

WSB January 3, 2011 (9:49 am)

206-684-ROAD is the hotline for potholes and any other kind of road problem requiring repair – TR

Bill Bacon January 3, 2011 (9:36 am)

I was just looking at the headlines in today’s Seattle Times. Timely. There’s an article about the city’s efforts to take care of all the potholes in Seattle. Under their current work load (it’s that time of year), it may be awhile before they get to West Seattle.

WSB January 3, 2011 (9:39 am)

That’s the article that is linked in this story.

Ed January 3, 2011 (10:23 am)

I too suffered a blown tire last Thursday. I usually do not purchase the extra road hazard protection for tires but I did this time and I was glad I did. Instead of $180+ for a new tire it was only $25 for road hazard protection on my replacement tire. Wasted my morning but thankfully did not put a dent in my wallet.

A January 3, 2011 (11:01 am)

Lost an already loose hub cap on this road. There are tons of potholes! I hit one right up from there near the cemetary. I saw it flying off in my rear view mirror.

Ken January 3, 2011 (11:08 am)

The two spots mentioned in the comments need the attention of geologic engineers rather then the fill and refill work the city is doing. Can WSB find out if there is any study done in the past or if the longfellow creek area limits what work can be done?

tuwanda January 3, 2011 (11:14 am)

I also hit a pothole in this section of the road, however it was the larger one that is a bit more east of this photo. It made a horrible sound and my tire was flat later that day. I am lucky the damage was not more severe and that my tire was repairable. I noticed this morning that the pothole I hit was filled in, however the ones pictured here although they are not as large, have not been filled in. There must be specific size that the potholes have to be to get the city’s attention otherwise why wouldn’t they fill all the potholes in a 100ft section of road? Some of these are actually getting worse too, I drive this section of road everyday and now I know exactly where to swerve to avoid them!

WSB January 3, 2011 (11:40 am)

Our intrepid correspondent Deanie has just found the Pothole Rangers on Sylvan at Dumar. Updating this story with a photo shortly.

datamuse January 3, 2011 (8:08 pm)

Doesn’t Longfellow Creek run right under that stretch of Sylvan Way? Could the water be causing sinkholes?

redblack January 4, 2011 (6:49 am)

i’m not sure about longfellow creek’s path, datamuse, but i’ve always thought that sylvan way is poorly constructed. like the road bed is deteriorating and moving.

angryguy January 4, 2011 (8:21 pm)

BOUT TIME!!! hey seattle, wanna gimme $1200 bucks for what you did to my cherry classic mercedes’ suspension? lazy a**holes.

LyndaB January 4, 2011 (11:16 pm)

i reported this one by home depot, too. if they haven’t gotten around to filling the holes, i’d appreciate some signage to alert all drivers!

3dogslater January 7, 2011 (7:53 pm)

I just hit a large pothole on North Delridge. I was traveling at 20 mph and didn’t even see it it’s dark out and the hole is flush..I just bought a new car with new rims and tires…I wish the city would give us all acredit for a free alignment! I reproted the pothole and voiced my concerns…along the NORTH lane of West Marginal as well…poor cars

WestwoodRob January 7, 2011 (9:45 pm)

My car’s tire was one of the latest casualties on Sylvan Way near the Home Depot today. I avoided one and ended up hitting another. I called the hotline and they forwarded me to the risk management website to file a claim.

Sorry, comment time is over.