LAFAYETTE, La. — Amber Alpha spent most of her day searching for a replacement rim and tire after her car became one of many damaged by a deep pothole on Verot School Road. Alpha said the ordeal began at 6 a.m., leading to mounting expenses and frustration.
“This has been an all day process of trying to find a place that will sell me rims that will fit my car and then a tire to go onto it… It's just been a really long day,” she said.
According to Alpha, the pothole wrecked her rim and caused her tire to lose air. “It just tore my whole rim up to the point where my tire was no longer holding air. And I have a front wheel drive vehicle, so when it damaged that, it damaged something else inside the transmission somehow,” Alpha explained.
Unable to purchase a single rim, Alpha was forced to buy a full set, costing $1,129, plus $130 for the tire alone. The growing repair bill has left her anxious about the financial burden. “It's starting to add up financially… and then the stressful part on top of that… it's just a lot,” she said.
The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) cited recent heavy rain as the cause of the potholes and encouraged affected motorists to contact their local office to file a claim for repair costs. However, DOTD noted that these claims are handled by a private auditor.
“We even had a couple of people tell us this morning that they have been filling it in but, obviously, not properly because it's washing out,” Alpha said.
A DOTD official added that crews are now filling the potholes with mix and sealing them with a doorpatcher to help prevent further washouts. However, drivers like Alpha want more permanent solutions.
“We pay our taxes. We work our butts off. I need my car to be able to go back and forth to work. How else am I gonna pay taxes to help you fix this?” Alpha asked.
Local residents hope improved road maintenance will help prevent costly vehicle damage and reduce stress for drivers.
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