St. Joseph potholes can lead to hefty repair bills

By Jenna Wilson

Potholes are a problem many are all too familiar with, but some St. Joseph drivers have even had to shell out hundreds of dollars in repairs due to damage from the roadway hazard.

According to AAA, pothole damage cost drivers around $26.5 billion in 2021 and the concern of spending a significant amount of money on these repairs hasn’t disappeared locally.

If you damage your car by running over potholes, it could cost you hundreds or even thousands in repair costs, which some local residents have witnessed firsthand.

St. Joseph resident Daniel Beloate was hit with a pricey cost in repairs after running over a pothole in his truck.

“It’s hard to even pinpoint an exact area where the potholes are the worst,” he said. “I drive near the stockyards and FF Highway and the ones over there did some serious damage to my truck. I ended up spending about $1,500 in repairs.”

Another resident, Joanna Lynn, said her son ran into a large pothole near 11th and Hickory streets, which resulted in $800 in damages that came straight out of her pocket.

“It would have been nice to receive help from the city to pay for the damages but Moperm, an insurance agency, said the city gets a one-time pass because there wasn’t any proof the pothole was called in prior to me calling about it,” she said.

Kruse’s Auto Center in St. Joseph is feeling the impact of drivers running into potholes. According to mechanics, they’re servicing vehicles that are dealing with several different problems, but potholes are common ones.

Jeff Schomburg, co-owner of Kruse’s Auto Center, said running over potholes can cause many issues with your vehicle, including a misalignment or tire blowout.

“Vehicles have something such as a ball joint, a tie rod end or a sway bar that is all like a ball and socket,” he said. “A lot of times, in Missouri especially, it eventually develops rust inside there and once you hit that pothole it loosens those components up.”

Schomburg said pothole damage costs vary greatly but with rising prices, drivers who catch themselves running into one should expect to spend a hefty amount depending on the damages.

“Prices are continuing to rise for everything these days, so it likely won’t be a cheap fix,” he said. “The best thing to do is try to avoid those potholes and slow down as much as you can.”

Beloate said he’d like to see the city take its time repairing potholes, so this issue doesn’t keep occurring for drivers each year.

“Instead of throwing asphalt back into the holes and re-patching it, do it the right way, not the wrong way,” he added.

If drivers notice a hazardous pothole that isn’t being repaired, they should be immediately report it to the city of St. Joseph at (816) 271-4848. Road crews will report to the area within 24-48 hours to try and get it repaired.