PHILADELPHIA – A Philadelphia Water Department vehicle became stuck after the pavement collapsed on Wishart Street in Kensington late Tuesday night, following repeated complaints from neighbors about worsening potholes.
Crews respond after truck falls through pavement in Kensington
What we know:
Residents say two potholes near a speed bump had been growing for some time, with one expanding as drivers tried to avoid it. Brittany Jones said she saw the water department vehicle stuck in a hole around 11:00 p.m. Tuesday.Â
“I was in shock because it’s ridiculous with how many times we called and they didn’t come out to fix and now look what happened,” said Jones.
Jones described the larger pothole as a persistent problem.Â
“The one behind the speed bump was the bigger one and it just kept getting bigger and bigger as people kept trying to avoid it go around it and everything, but it just didn’t work. It just got worse as many times as we called,” said Jones.Â
She added, “I did think it was gonna happen, but I didn’t know it would be there soon cause I saw how big it kept getting every time we kept calling to get it fixed nobody would come out they’d say they would document it but nothing happened…”
Crews were seen drilling into the street as they worked to address the problem.
Some neighbors on the block reported water issues, but Jones said her water was unaffected.
Residents hope repairs will prevent future problems
The situation highlights ongoing concerns about street maintenance and infrastructure in Philadelphia neighborhoods.Â
Jones said she is relieved to see crews responding now. “Good I’m glad I’m hoping it does get fixed. I don’t want anything to get worse and I’m just hoping everybody from last night is okay…” said Jones.
Neighbors are watching closely as repairs continue, hoping the street will be made safe and stable.
What we don’t know:
It is not yet clear how long repairs will take or if the water department has identified the underlying cause of the pavement collapse.
The Source: Information from interviews with residents and on-scene observations.