Metro county to start Pothole Palooza this weekend to fixed pothole-laden roads

DECATUR, Ga. — There is progress in the effort to repair potholes in our area.

DeKalb County holds Pothole Palooza typically in April, when the weather warms up and dries out some.

But with all the potholes that have popped up with our rainfall, the county says now is the time to get a jump on the fix.

Jim Walls has lived in Decatur for 14 years but told Channel 2’s Wendy Corona that this year takes the cake for potholes.

“A lot of the residents are literally begging for help,” Walls said. “I almost think that (my) road is unsafe to drive on.”

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Walls walked Corona along Adair Street between Emerson Avenue and Cottonwood Place. He showed Corona where steel plates and orange cones were in the middle of the road, and the rain has only made things worse.

“It just weakens everything, and once the traffic hits it, it all starts to break apart, and poof, you got a pothole,” said Rick Lemke, director of DeKalb County Public Works. “The rain won’t stop, but it will slow down eventually.”

Lemke said he is counting on dry days to get to work. Typically, in April, the county starts Pothole Pallooza in an effort to fix the problem spots. This year it starts Saturday, a whole month early.

“We’ll do an all-hands-on-deck and get everybody out there trying to do as much as we can with our in-house crews, and we hire contractors to help us out, as well,” Lemke said.

DeKalb County is committed to fixing the worst 300 miles of road with SPLOST funds.

The county fixed 100 potholes last year and expects to do more than 100 this year.

To report a pothole to DeKalb County you can submit it online or call 404-297-3813.

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