It’s that time of year: the District is repairing our streets, one pothole at a time. D.C.’s annual Potholepalooza campaign kicked off today with Mayor Muriel Bowser tamping asphalt into one of the city’s thousands of potholes.

The District began this six-week tradition of quickly fixing roads in 2009. This year, however, D.C. is getting techie with it. “Today, we are taking a fresh approach to pothole repairs in the District,” said Mayor Bowser in a release. “By adopting new strategies and technologies we are better able to identify potholes, repair them quickly and ensure residents can drive on District roads that are smooth, comfortable, and most importantly, safe.”

One of those new tools is mapping technology that lets crews connect to the District Department of Transportation’s live service database, according to the release. DDOT staff can tap on the map to indicate where work has been performed and can take pictures once holes are filled. The updates will be sent to 311 within an hour.

Last month, DDOT filled nearly 12,000 potholes, according to the release. And as part of the campaign, the department will add extra hands with the goal of repairing identified locations within 48 hours (the normal response time is within 72 hours).

In 2015, DDOT received more than 6,000 service requests for pothole repairs during the campaign and filled more than 27,000 potholes. A couple months ago, AAA Mid-Atlantic spokesman John Townsend said this year could be a “banner year for potholes,” due to fluctuating weather conditions.

The department will post online updates potholes numbers that are filled each day. District residents can also keep up with progress via an interactive map showing just how long crews have to go.

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