Winter road damage takes toll on vehicles

Bitter cold temperatures make for tough road conditions

MADISON, Wis. — A measure of how long and how cold this winter has been can be seen in the damage it has done to roads and highways. Potholes and heaving caused by bitter cold temperatures make for bumpy rides. They are also making for busy days at auto repair shops trying to fix damage done to cars and trucks.

“We actually had a fairly late model Chevrolet pickup truck in here where he just hit a pothole and it broke the wheel right off the truck,” said Doug Lewis, owner of Jenks Service Center on Madison’s east side.

Lewis has owned the auto repair shop since 1967 and road conditions like these have them busy doing wheel alignments. He said vehicles that are not properly aligned can have problems with handling and will wear tires out quicker.

“I expect that people are going to hear a lot more rattles and bangs and clanks that they did when they first started driving and I think people should really get their cars to someone when this is over, if not now,” Lewis said.