Ford City Drive Riddled With Massive Potholes
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A half mile stretch of 77th Street on Chicago's southwest side may be one of the worst roads in the city. From the intersection of 77th and Kostner down to Pulaski, the road is riddled with massive potholes.
"This is the second tire I've lost on this road," said Shea Prater, frustrated by the deplorable conditions on 77th Street, also known as Ford City Drive.
He said when it rains, water covers up the craters, forcing drivers to guess where to go.
"You can see me slowing down, bouncing," he stated. "We could get a fishing pole and might catch something here."
Some of the potholes are large enough for Shea to stand with both feet.
84-year-old Pauline Prater lives in a condo complex along the road and said she just wants to be able to drive her car from her residence to the mall next door. Ford City Mall is a few hundred feet for her to drive, but it's filled with obstacles.
Alderman Derrick Curtis said, "This is years of neglect from whatever the party is," claiming the entire stretch of road, shown on a map from the city's law department, is private.
"You can't take taxpayers dollars and put them on a private road," he explained. "This is Daley College's parking lot."
The residents learned condo associations may own part of the road.
As for the section of the road that leads in and out of Daley College, Ald. Curtis said, "I would think this it is city owned, but it's not. I'm gonna go right back to call the city law department, even the mayor's office, say we have to do something."
"Winter time is coming and the holes will get nothing but bigger," Prater said fearfully.
Late Wednesday afternoon, a City Colleges spokesperson said it owns a small portion of the street and is "hopeful a collaborative repair project will commence soon." The spokesperson said figuring out exactly who owns the rest of the road and getting them to pay for it may be easier said than done.
