'Probably leads to China': How to report potholes in Bloomington, Monroe County

Pothole season has begun.

Potholes, caused by snow, ice and rain, can damage tires, endanger cyclists and cause general mayhem when not reported and filled.

Take for example a pothole on Moore’s Pike reported to the City of Bloomington on Dec. 4, described as “so deep it probably leads to China.”

But for cross-continental craters and minor holes alike, it’s easy to report potholes in Bloomington, Ellettsville and Monroe County through either a quick phone call or an online form.

Here’s a breakdown of how to report potholes, as well as a few of our favorite pothole self-reports from Bloomington residents in the past year.

Where do I report potholes?

To determine where to report, you’ll need to know which local jurisdiction the pothole is in. Depending on the address, you will need to report it to the city of Bloomington, the town of Ellettsville, Monroe County or the state of Indiana.

The City of Bloomington has an easy search feature, “myBloomington,” to find out whether an address is in city limits. Go to bloomington.in.gov/mybloomington/, enter the address nearest to the pothole, and the site will tell you if it is or isn’t in Bloomington’s city limits.

To see if an address is in Ellettsville, you can look at Monroe County’s online parcel data map. Visit https://shorturl.at/BOXgh to see Ellettsville’s city limits.

Monroe County has jurisdiction over most other roads, except state roads and those in the town of Stinesville.

How do I report potholes in Bloomington, Ellettsville, Monroe County?

Once you’ve determined who is responsible for filling the pothole, you’ll file a report with the corresponding jurisdiction.

For Bloomington:

• Report potholes online at bloomington.in.gov/ureport/. Navigate to “Streets, Parking and Traffic,” specify that you’re reporting “Potholes, Other Street Repair,” and input the address. You also have the option to include an image and describe the issue. The form asks for your name and contact information; you can bypass these and report anonymously.

• Call Bloomington’s City Hall at 812-349-3400.

For Ellettsville:

• Call Ellettsville’s Streets Department at 812-876-8616.

For Monroe County:

• Report potholes online at https://shorturl.at/rXkpi. The form asks for the county road name and has a field for additional description. The form also asks for your name, address and email.

• Call Monroe County’s Highway Department at 812-803-6810.

For state roads and highways:

• The Indiana Department of Transportation has an online portal for reporting potholes and other concerns at indot4u.com. INDOT reports should include the county, state road number, mile marker or nearest cross road, and direction of travel for the lane where the pothole is located.

• Reports may also be made by phone at 855-INDOT4U.

What’s the worst pothole reported in 2024?

It’s hard to objectively identify the worst pothole reported in Bloomington, but here are a few of our favorite descriptions submitted to the city of Bloomington through uReport in 2024.

The “probably leads to China” pothole on East Moores Pike, Dec. 4: “There’s a pothole here that so deep it probably leads to China. It’s been there for over a year and no one will fill it. It’s at entrance/exit of the old movie theater. It fills with water and then does not appear to be a hole. Someone is either going to hurt themselves walking or damage their car it’s so deep.”

A “juicy” pothole on West Sixth Street, Nov. 19: “Big juicy pothole just outside bloomingfoods west parking lot.”

The “collapsed drain” on East Grimes Lane, Sep. 29: “Nasty pothole here on Grimes. Looks more like a collapsed drain than a pothole tbh.”

A “keg-sized” pothole on Fee Lane, April 16: “Like you could pour an entire keg in that pothole and it still wouldn’t be full. Not quite sure how you guys have let it get this bad.”

The cyclist trap on Woodlawn Avenue, Feb. 5: “POTHOLE!! Woodlawn Ave just north of Weatherstone Lane, on the east side of the northbound lane of traffic before the parking lot entrance. This one is a growing problem and in the perfect spot on a downhill for a cyclist to go over their handlebars into the ditch.”

And finally, a short and sweet description of a pothole on North Union Street, Jan. 29: “Huge ass pothole”.

Reach Brian Rosenzweig at brian@heraldt.com. Follow him on Twitter/X at @brianwritesnews.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: How to report a pothole in Bloomington, Ellettsville, Monroe County