City of Topeka reports patching nearly two-thirds the number of potholes as its 2018 total

Topeka’s city government by late February had already repaired two-thirds as many potholes as it did in all of last year. The city had patched 8,395 potholes as of Feb. 26, city media relations coordinator Molly Hadfield said Tuesday. In comparison, the city patched 12,275 potholes in 2018 and 23,302 in 2017, she confirmed. Hadfield attributed the plethora of potholes to Topeka having seen a harsh winter characterized by considerable precipitation. Topeka has recorded 27.1 inches of snow so far this winter compared to 19.6 inches in the previous three winters combined, according to the National Weather Service. “Because of the multiple rain, snow and ice events, damage to city streets has been more severe,” the city said on its website. “Damage occurs during and after the freeze-thaw cycle.”