Coming soon to a Tacoma neighborhood near you: 2025 ‘Pothole Palooza’
The city of Tacoma’s “Pothole Palooza” crew will working to repair 10 arterial roadways from Sept. 30 through Oct. 13.
Funded by Tacoma’s voter-approved Streets Initiative I, the project is part of a city-sponsored campaign to showcase the work that the city’s Street Operations Division does “to reduce the presence of Phil the Pothole on city streets.” Phil is a three-eyed cartoon pothole that’s central to the city’s social-media campaign. The projects will take place in each of the city’s five council districts, and lane repairs and replacements will take place on a new location each day of the campaign.
During last year’s “Pothole Palooza,” crews worked on 10 locations and repaired or prevented roughly 5,369 potholes, according to the city’s website. This year’s project will cost $688,000, according to city spokesperson Maria Lee.
The city will implement lane closures, detours or diversions while work is ongoing depending on the nature and location of the work. Notice boards with information about the work will be posted near each site one week before work begins, according to a release.
“Keeping our streets safe and reliable is one of the most basic yet most important services a city can provide. I’m proud of our Street Operations team, who works tirelessly to repair potholes and maintain our roadways,” Mayor Victoria Woodards said in a news release. “Their hard work makes a real difference in the daily lives of our residents and Pothole Palooza is a great annual opportunity to highlight them.”
Streets Initiative I, the voter-approved levy from 2015 that raised around $200 million, is set to fully expire by February 2026. Voters in a special election in April rejected Streets Initiative II, a measure that would have increased the utility and property tax under Streets Initiative I and would have made the levy permanent. The City Council after the special election said it was exploring next steps, but the city has warned of “diminished” levels of service to come for Tacoma’s infrastructure as a result of the rejection. Visit tacoma.gov/potholes to see a full list of all the roads that will undergo lane repairs or replacements during Pothole Palooza. Residents can report potholes through Tacoma’s 311 line by calling 311 while in Tacoma’s city limits, 253-591-5000 if outside of the city or online at tacoma.gov/311.
