So it begins: Potholes are popping up in Lincoln, but LTU says there’s fewer this year

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – If you’ve driven around recently, you’ve likely seen the impact of Nebraska’s weather on Lincoln roads.

While they may not seem super dangerous now, potholes can actually cause hundreds of dollars in damage to vehicles.

Lincoln Transportation and Utilities Director Liz Elliott said the city has actually seen a huge decrease in the number of potholes.

“Since about 2020, we’re starting to see the pothole numbers go down,” she said. “The investment that Lincoln on the Move and our street funding is making is significant across the entire community. Before Lincoln on the Move, we saw about 53,000 potholes annually. Since Lincoln on the Move, we are now down to about 31,000 potholes annually.”

One Lincoln driver told Channel 8 that the roads near her house are really bad this season.

“I’ve noticed that they’ve actually been really bad on A Street,” Janeli said. “I live towards A Street, and driving, especially with the snow now that it’s melted, I’ve noticed that they’re a lot worse. I just really hope that they get fixed ’cause I don’t want my car getting damaged.”

On Wednesday, LTU crews were out and about filling in spots around town.

Tim Eliker, one of the street maintenance workers, said they are working as fast as they can.

“We try to keep up on reports and get them filled as soon as we can, ASAP,” he said. “Days like this make it perfect so that there’s not a lot of water in them so they can seal pretty good. If you seal them good and get it right, they’ll last quite a while.”

LTU said you can report any new potholes or other non-emergencies on the UPLNK app.