You think potholes are bad now?

If you're like me and you drive to work over the same route every morning and evening, then you've memorized where you have to swerve or change lanes to avoid potholes. My eight-year-old car feels like it has the knee and hip joints of a 90-year-old marathon runner. There's not much 'cartilage' left in the suspension system to cushion the blow.

Well, the problem will likely get worse with the warmer weather. Today the city of Minneapolis sent out a press release reminding drivers that the daily thaw and nightly freeze will further damage already pockmarked roads. So the city is adding crews to work on weekends in addition to the round the clock work going on Monday through Friday.

Since the start of January:

· More than 5,000 truckloads of snow have been removed from City streets. That's in addition to the regular plowing efforts by Public Works.

· More than 200 tons of temporary asphalt mix, or cold patch, have been used to fix potholes.

· About 16,000 of the 20,000 corners in the City have been cleared of snow piles left after plowing.

City officials urge drivers to call 311 to report potholes. In the meantime, hold on to your axles. It's going to be a bumpy ride.

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