Believe it or not, Muncie's roads are alive with the sound of pothole repairs.
What has been a perennial problem in Muncie has reached ridiculous proportions, as drivers are now struggling to maneuver their vehicles and avoid rapidly multiplying holes in the streets.
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Make no mistake: The city of Muncie is combating the problem. Mike Winkle, Muncie's street commissioner, said three crews are out on a daily basis making repairs, using cold weather patch material.
"All the major roads and secondary roads are the big problems," Winkle said. "We don't even worry about the neighborhoods until we take care of major thoroughfares."
These major thoroughfares include Neely, New York, Riverside, University and McKinley avenues.
The city has already contracted E & B Paving for $578,425 to pave 25 streets this spring. Unfortunately, because cold weather is not conducive to major repairs, large construction projects can't take place until the weather is warmer.
Essentially, drivers must exercise patience; officials are on task.
However, Daily News archives contain letters to the editor from angry readers dating as far back as the 1980s. The pothole problem has made Muncie infamous as a city where vehicle suspensions are unsafe and the city is traditionally indifferent.
The pothole problem has been around long enough, and it won't go away with cold patches and spring repairs alone.
Repairing 25 streets won't solve the problem either.
Waiting until the problem causes up to 30 reports and 10-20 repair claims per day (as city officials report) is too late.
What will make the problem go away is constant maintenance and increased dedicated funding.
These solutions may be easier said than done. Money is an issue, and it has to come from somewhere.
But for the city of Muncie and its drivers, it's high time to find it.
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