Pothole season has begun.
Potholes caused by snow, ice and rain can damage tires, endanger cyclists’ safety and cause general chaos if not reported and filled.
Take, for example, a pothole on Moorpike that was reported to the city of Bloomington on December 4 and was described as “so deep that it could lead to China.”
But as with craters and holes across the continent, reporting them in Bloomington, Ellettsville and Monroe counties is easy with a quick phone call or online form.
Here are the details on how to report a pothole, along with some of our favorite pothole self-reports from Bloomington residents over the past year.
Where can I report a pothole?
To determine where to report it, you need to know which local jurisdiction the pothole is located in.
The City of Bloomington has a simple search function, “myBloomington,” to find out if an address is within city limits. Visit bloomington.in.gov/mybloomington/, enter the address closest to the pothole, and the website will tell you if the address is within Bloomington city limits.
To see if an address is in Ellettsville, you can view the Monroe County online parcel profile map. Visit the city limits of Ellettsville.
Monroe County has jurisdiction over most other roads except state highways and roads within the town of Stingsville.
How do I report a pothole in Bloomington, Ellettsville, Monroe County?
Once you determine who is responsible for filling the pothole, you can file a report with the appropriate jurisdiction.
For Bloomington:
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Please report a pothole online at bloomington.in.gov/ureport/. Navigate to Streets, Parking and Traffic, specify that you want to report “Potholes, Other Street Repairs,” and enter the address. You can also choose to include an image and describe the problem. The form asks for your name and contact information; you can bypass these and report anonymously.
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Please contact Bloomington City Hall at 812-349-3400.
For Ellettsville:
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Please call the Ellettsville Street Department: 812-876-8616.
For Monroe County:
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Report a Pothole Online This form requires the county road name and has a field for an additional description. The form also asks for your name, address and email.
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Please contact the Monroe County Highway Department at 812-803-6810.
For national roads and expressways:
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The Indiana Department of Transportation maintains an online portal at indot4u.com for reporting potholes and other problems. INDOT reports should include the county, state road number, mile marker or nearest intersection, and direction of travel for the lane where the pothole is located.
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Reports can also be made by calling 855-INDOT4U.
What are the worst potholes reported in 2024?
It’s difficult to objectively identify the worst reported potholes in Bloomington, but here are some of our favorite descriptions submitted to the City of Bloomington via uReport in 2024.
The pothole near Moore’s Spike was reported on December 4, as seen on Google Earth in July 2023.
On December 4, a pothole on the East Moore Spike that “may lead to China”: “There’s a pothole here, very deep, that probably leads to China. It’s been there for over a year and no one wants to fill it. It’s at the entrance/exit of the old movie theater. It filled up with water and then it looked like It’s not a hole anymore. Someone will either get hurt walking or damage their car because it’s so deep.
On November 19, a “juicy” pothole on West Sixth Street: “There’s a big juicy pit outside the bloomingfoods west parking lot.”
September 29, “collapsed gutter” on East Grimes Lane: “We have nasty potholes here in Grimes. To be honest, it looks more like a collapsed drain than a pothole.
On April 16, a large pothole was reported on Fee Lane.
On April 16, a “keg-sized” pothole on Fee Lane: “It’s like you could dump the whole keg into that hole and it still wouldn’t be full. Not sure how you guys let it get so bad.
Cyclist Trap on Woodlawn Avenue, February 5: “Pothole!! Woodlawn Ave is located north of Weatherstone Lane, on the east side of the northbound lane before the parking lot entrance. This is a growing problem and on downhill sections it is easy for cyclists to go over the handlebars and fall into the ditch .
Finally, a short and sweet description of a pothole on North Union Street on January 29: “Huge ass pit”.
Contact Brian Rosenzweig brian@heraldt.com. Follow him on Twitter/X: @brianwritesnews.
This article originally appeared in the Herald Times: How to report a pothole in Bloomington, Ellettsville, Monroe County
