SEATTLE — The state of Seattle's roads are a concern for people throughout the city, from the hole on the West Seattle Bridge ramp to sinkholes and potholes.
Now city leaders are speaking out about what needs to be done.
“Well, yeah, it’s collapsing, you can see it’s collapsing,” said Raven Jewell, who can see 62nd Avenue Northeast from her apartment window.
“I’m very concerned about this road,” said Jewell, who will do anything to avoid driving on it. She either goes through a parking lot or turns the other way.
The ground in the area is sinking in some areas and crumbling in others.
“I think the whole road is going to go to be quite honest,” said Jewell.
“It’s no surprise to most people in Seattle and businesses throughout Seattle that our infrastructure has been neglected,” said Council member Alex Pedersen, chair of the Seattle Transportation Committee, which oversees a budget of $700 million.
“We need to manage our costs better and not build expensive new projects when we can’t take care of the ones we have,” said Pedersen.
There are many reported potholes and work is being done to repair a sinkhole at 19th and Galer Sreet.
Ethan Bergerson with the Seattle Department of Transportation said crews made 350 spot repairs to bridges, last year. Since 2016, the department has paved 200 miles of Seattle streets.
"We’re going to continue to do that as it helps address the underlying nature of potholes, but it’s not realistically possible to do every road in Seattle at the same exact time,” said Bergerson.
Jewell sent a repair email to the department and was told an "emergency response crew would come to secure the site as soon as possible."
“A week and a half ago I got this and right away I’d get emergency response. Where are they? Where are they?” said Jewell.