EDITOR:
My wife and I were traveling southbound on I-29 through Platte City recently when we hit a large pothole that damaged our car’s suspension.
When I went to MoDOT’s website to report the pothole I saw that you could file a damage claim. I filed a claim and was contacted by Rory C. Forck. He said he had done an investigation and no one had reported the hole so they have no liability and the claim was denied under State Statute 537.600.
At the bottom of his letter it said he would be happy to answer questions. I contacted him at his email and asked him who is responsible to report road damage? He said “Notice of conditions comes in various ways, example – public motorists submitting concern/call report, employees driving area, law enforcement, etc.” I asked further about who specifically with MoDOT is responsible to do a road condition survey and how often. He then advised me that I could do a sunshine request online at MoDOT.ORG.
Apparently there is no one at MoDOT assigned to monitor road conditions, it’s the public’s responsibility, and repairs are done arbitrarily with no particular time frame.
--Dr. Tim Altenburg DDS
Platte County
