Authorities in Washington state have closed an off-ramp until further notice after a massive pothole left several vehicles with busted tires. The Washington State Department of Transportation announced they shut down the State Road 99 northbound on-ramp Tuesday night (May 2) to address the issue.
"The on-ramp from the West Seattle Bridge is closed until further notice, for bridge preservation is evaluating repairs for a hole in the ramp," the agency tweeted. "A 5x4 foot hole was discovered about 10pm last night. People should seek alternate routes."
According to KING 5, there were several reports of people getting flat tires after crossing over this pothole. A picture shared by WSDOT shows the exposed rebar in the gaping pothole. Another shot captured by the news station reveals you can see the other side of the hole from below the bridge.
Several Twitter users have criticized officials over the situation, especially since the West Seattle Bridge reopened back in September 2022. The essential bridge had been under renovation for years to address critical infrastructure needs, and now some people are confused about how the agency didn't notice this dangerous pothole.
"Was this not checked during the several year closure of the bridge? It literally just opened," a user tweeted.
"It's only been developing for 2+ months," another wrote. "You think someone would have noticed it before it got that big."
Reporters pointed out that Seattle has a huge pothole problem, and the Seattle Department of Transportation agrees. According to a February 2023 press release, SDOT crews filled 23,000 potholes throughout the city in 2022. That's the most they've filled in the last five years.
"It's not your imagination," officials said in the release. "There were more potholes than usual last year."
SDOT said wintry weather often damages roads as water leaks through cracks in the pavement. When the water freezes and expands into ice, it cracks the roads more and causes erosion, according to officials. When vehicles then drive over these damaged parts of the roads, it can create potholes.
The agency concedes that filling potholes is a temporary solution to a larger problem, and stated that they can be prevented by larger paving projects.