- Offenbach is not coming up behind
Potholes aren't just a nuisance for drivers - cities are also grappling with them. Take Offenbach, for instance: In the first half of 2024, city utilities only repaired 147 out of 387 identified damages. In comparison, in the first half of 2023, there were 387 repairs out of 453 damages.
The main reason, according to the city, is a shortage of skilled workers. "The city utilities' department of civil engineering lacks a crew, half of the workforce available last year, for the removal of road damages," they reported. "The city utilities are also feeling the impact of the skilled worker shortage."
Metropolis invests millions
Frankfurt is also battling road damages: The past winters, with their frequent shifts between thaw and frost periods, have left severe damages in the form of potholes on the roads. Therefore, Frankfurt has launched a "surface renewal offensive".
A total of 27 measures are planned for the entire year 2024, distributed across 21 districts. "Roughly estimated, we will renew an area of around 40,000 square meters in the entire city area alone through this action program. The construction costs are estimated at around 2.5 million euros, not including planning costs," the city reported.
1000 potholes per half-year
In other cities, it's not the potholes that are the problem, but they also have concerns about the next generation and are struggling with a shortage of skilled workers. In Gießen, approximately 1000 potholes are repaired per half-year. This usually happens promptly, especially on main traffic routes or bike paths, as they often pose a traffic hazard. The existing staff is sufficient for this, but it's difficult to find personnel in the area of technicians and engineers.
A spokesperson for Kassel stated that the city has hardly any problems repairing road damages, with around 900 potholes already repaired in the first half of 2024. However, often only superficial repairs are sufficient, and roads may need to be renovated more fundamentally. In this area, the shortage of skilled workers has not yet been noticeable. "However, the problem is likely to become more severe in the coming years."
The city of Darmstadt reported that the shortage of skilled workers is not only an issue for the city's road maintenance but also affects other areas of the city utilities. However, they can still carry out all repairs. In Wiesbaden, it's not the repairs that are the problem, but rather "getting trained personnel for track control," explained a spokesperson.
In some cities, like Gießen, the problem isn't the number of potholes, but the scarcity of skilled workers in the field of technicians and engineers, making it challenging to address this issue fully.
Other cities, such as Darmstadt, have reported that the shortage of skilled workers is not limited to road maintenance but impacts various sectors within their city utilities.
