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When it comes to potholes in Lawrence and the damage they can cause to vehicles, the message from mechanics and city street officials is to brace for a rough ride.

Because while it may seem bad now, pothole problems are expected to get even worse in the days ahead as snow and ice continue to thaw and refreeze on city streets.

That means expensive street and road work for local governments and bone-jarring rides for motorists who may find themselves with big auto repair bills.

“I think we are going to have a real bad year,” said Bryan Harris, owner of Harris Auto Repair, 811 E. 23rd St. “I really do.”

Tom Orzulak, city street division manager, agreed. He said the problem for the city this winter had been multiple snowstorms on top of one another, meaning snowplows have hit and scraped the streets more than usual.

“With the amount of snow we’ve had, you’re going to have pothole problems,” Orzulak said. “We had to plow twice in one week, which really weakens areas.”

Despite the snow, temperatures consistently below freezing kept the number of potholes down for much of the winter. But the recent warm weather during daylight hours and overnight freezing has been creating a daily bumper crop.

Already, Orzulak said, city crews have been racing to keep up with the work. The biggest problems have opened up on the city’s most traveled thoroughfares, such as Sixth Street and Iowa Street. Potholes also are causing problems in alleys, parking lots and some area highways.

Until temperatures stay above freezing, city crews use a temporary filler. That means that despite the city’s effort, the temporary filler often solves the problem for just a short time. Traffic often kicks it out of the hole.

Lawrence Street Department worker Willie Harris, right, fills in a pothole with asphalt near 16th and Massachusetts streets as co-worker Troy Bowers loads up his shovel. Crews are being dispersed throughout the city, trying to repair winter's damage to city streets.

“We’ve been out every day that we could be patching,” Orzulak said. “Some potholes we patch twice in a day. … All of us here are pretty sick of winter.”

Permanent repairs will be made when the weather warms and the streets are dry.

The cratered streets and parking lots mean big business for automobile repair shops.

Driving over a pothole can damage a vehicle’s front end and suspension, cause a flat tire, knock the tires out of alignment and bend the rim in which the tire is mounted. The typical tab: anywhere from $100 to as much as $600, depending on the extent of damage.

Pothole damage is covered by some auto insurance policies.

Paul Crispin, tire sales manager at Firestone Tire and Service Center 2425 Iowa, said he was seeing three or four cars a week with pothole damage such as blown tires or broken belts. Other shops reported increased business, as well.

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At Dale Willey Quick Service & Tire Center, 2216 W. Sixth St., service manager Terry Daugherty said he expected to see about a dozen cars a week with pothole damage as streets thaw.

Ross Janssen, chief meteorologist at Channel 6, said about 12 inches of snow have fallen this winter in Lawrence. That’s on pace with an average winter, but much more than the city has experienced in recent years.

Orzulak said milder temperatures could allow the city to catch up with the work.

“It’s been the worst winter in the last six or seven years for us,” he said. “But if we get a week or so of good weather we’ll get rid of them.”