TAMPA, Fla. – People driving within the city of Tampa may notice a rather odd-looking van. A 360-degree camera, laser beams hanging off the side — it’s an expensive truck the city hopes will help them cut down on pot holes.
Kimberly Morose hit one just last week.
“I got a flat tire driving out of the neighborhood,” she said. “It’s just real frustrating, because I had to have my car towed. And it’s just a real pain.”
So far this year, Tampa has filled more than 570 potholes.
Over the next several weeks a contracted van will drive over every bit of 1,500 miles of pavement that the city maintains. Lasers beams and cameras — that can see down to the millimeter — will analyze each roadway.