NASHVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Last week’s brutal winter storm has created an abundance of potholes along interstates and state highways in middle and west Tennessee. TDOT is launching a massive effort using all available manpower to repair the damaged areas as quickly as possible.
Multiple crews will be patching potholes over the coming days and weeks. Cold mix asphalt is currently being used for repairs. Some asphalt plants will open during the day and allow crews to use hot mix for a more permanent repair. But it may be spring or early summer before more permanent repairs are made. Full scale paving may be necessary in many locations. Some crews will be assigned to interstates while others will focus on state routes.
“Our crews are the same folks that were clearing the ice and snow last week who are working on our potholes this week. We are trying not to impact the rush hours but we’re trying to get as much work done as we can before another round of weather moves in,” TDOT Communications Officer Kathryn Shulte said.
Shulte added that since the ice has gotten off the roads TDOT has used about 148 tons of asphalt to patch potholes.
Inclement weather, emergency repairs or incidents may disrupt daily schedules. TDOT does not count potholes, keep a tally of how many potholes have been repaired or the cost of repairs per pothole. These repairs are part of normal highway maintenance operations.
Motorists should be prepared for short term traffic delays during these repair operations. While every effort will be made to perform repairs during off-peak travel times (9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. weekdays), some lane closures may extend into the late afternoon, evening, and weekends. We ask drivers to be patient and to watch out for TDOT crews on interstates and state highways. Work with Us – move over, slow down.
Motorists can alert TDOT to potholes using this form: https://www.tn.gov/tdot/maintenance/maintenance-request.html