LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) — You know what it’s like to be driving down the road and all of a sudden you feel your car drop. You soon realize you've come across a pothole. This time of year, you'll likely encounter even more.
Marcus Collier at Rent-A-Wheel gets at least a few customers a week with bent wheels and tires blown out from a pothole.
“Mostly all year long," Collier said.
As he works to get drivers back on the road, Little Rock Public Works is trying fix the roads
“They do pop up more often during the wintertime," said Mark Jacobi with Little Rock Public Works.
Jacobi blames the winter potholes on the streets going through a freeze and thaw cycle.
"Those cycles make water expand, it gets in the cracks. As it expands it pushes the asphalt out of the way and next thing you know you have a hole in the street," Jacobi said.
Since last week's snow event, public works has received more reports of potholes.
"We’ve done quite a bit of patching this year already because of the weather event we just had," Jacobi said.
In 2016, they fixed about 1,500 potholes. In 2017, they fixed 1,300.
He believes the year to year decrease is because winter weather hasn't been as severe, plus they're focusing on resurfacing roads.
"Putting that new surface on the old surface helps to waterproof it and really prevent potholes," Jacobi said.
Jacobi encourages drivers to call 311 when they spot a pothole.
"We can get a crew right out there and try to take care of it," Jacobi said.