Street crews working to repair potholes

MISHAWAKA, Ind. -- "I take it every day. It wasn't like this yesterday."

Bumpy roads can be an inconvenience, just ask drivers like Harvey Stauffer.

"The way I hit it, I knew right away that if I didn't have a flat tire, then someone up above was looking out for me," Stauffer said.

Unfortunately, not even divine intervention could save him this time.

He hit a big pot hole caused by the area's wild to mild shift in weather.

"It's the expansion of the ground," Alex Fisher, with the Mishawaka Street Department, said. "When it freezes, obviously, it expands. When it thaws, it shrinks back down, and allows movements and voids.

He has his crews out in full force.

They're trying to patch all the holes they can, but recent rainfall isn't helping.

In order for their winter mix adhesive to stick, the ground and holes have to be dry.

"We're forever chasing our tails," Fisher said. "You can never get there quick enough for the public the way they want you to, but we do our best."

Due to a series of mild winters, Michiana street departments have seen an increase in potholes these past few years; forcing drivers like Stauffer to pay extra attention, even on the best of roads.

"I was very surprised," Stauffer said. "Because it is a nice piece of road."