CHESAPEAKE, Va. — As the weather warms up, potholes are getting bigger — and one Chesapeake mechanic says the damage they're causing is hitting drivers hard in the wallet.
Angelo Camacho, owner of Angelo's Tires and Auto Repair on South Military Highway, says the freeze-thaw cycle is to blame for the seasonal spike in pothole damage.
"After the weather and the hot, cold, hot, cold, yeah, it makes a lot of potholes. We get a lot of business," Camacho said.
He says his shop has been extremely busy in recent days due to drivers coming in with damage from potholes.
"We're getting at least 2 to 3 a day on cracked rims because of potholes," Camacho said.
Camacho says the damage goes beyond cracked rims. Drivers have also been coming in with bubbles on the sides of their tires — damage caused by the impact of hitting a pothole that requires a full tire replacement. He adds that cracked rims are a particularly costly problem.
"We're getting it all from the cracked rims all the way to the bubbles on the side of the tires from the impact. A lot of cracks in rims — and there's not a lot of relief for cracks and rims in this area. So that's a pretty big deal for people," Camacho said.
He says the repairs don't come cheap — and the price depends on what you drive.
"At the very cheapest, a rim starts at $50 and they're gonna need a tire as well — so at the very, very least they're looking at $100. And when you go up to something like a Mercedes-Benz with an AMG wheel, you're looking at upwards of $1,000," Camacho said.
Camacho says the potholes along South Military Highway are severe. He describes at least one pothole about a block from his shop that's large enough to fit an entire tire inside.
"They came out here probably about 10 years ago and they fixed all the potholes, but now they're back. They came back with a vengeance. They're pretty big. There's one you could probably put a whole tire in right up the street about a block up from the shop," Camacho said.
He says the road is also eroding along the sides — a problem he says was addressed about 10 years ago but is now starting to return.
"A lot of the road is eroding away over here on the sides, which we talked about years ago when they came and fixed, but that's starting to happen again as well. The asphalt itself over time starts to weaken, and that's definitely happening up and down South Military Highway," Camacho said.
Camacho says his biggest concern isn't just the potholes themselves, but the lack of lighting in the area, which makes the potholes nearly impossible to avoid after dark. Camacho has been advocating for safety improvements on South Military highway near his shop for more than a decade.
"There's no lighting. So, if you don't have lighting out here, and you see a pothole, there's no way to avoid the pothole. So you have two different problems. One's the lighting, two is the potholes, and they're tearing people's cars up," Camacho said.
He says he has reached out to the city to report potholes near his shop, but crews have not fixed them yet. Camacho also noted that pedestrian activity in the area adds another layer of danger for drivers navigating the damaged roads.
"Be very aware of the roads. Around here, be very vigilant — even though the speed limit is 45 to 55, still pay attention to what's in front of you. The roads aren't great and there's also a lot of people out here walking back and forth across the street, so be very aware of your surroundings," Camacho said.
Camacho says he hopes the city responds the same way it did a decade ago.
"My hope is that the city hears this call for help again like they did many years ago. When we asked for help, they came out and they provided help. They fixed the roads, they fixed the potholes, they did everything that the people of the city asked for — and we're asking that you come out and do it again. We need help again, please," Camacho said.
The City of Chesapeake says Public Works crews are actively making repairs to reported potholes, and deep potholes in travel lanes are the top priority. Drivers can report a pothole by calling 757-382-CITY (2489) or online here.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
