Due to this season’s back-to-back winter storms, potholes have formed along Tennessee interstates and state highways. As a result, the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) announced in a Friday press release that it is using all available staffing to repair the damaged areas as quickly as possible.
As the weather allows, multiple TDOT crews will be patching potholes over the coming days and weeks, according to the press release. Cold mix asphalt is currently being used for repairs.
Asphalt plants may open during the day and allow crews to use hot mix for more permanent repairs in some areas. However, as the department notes, it may be spring or early summer before more permanent repairs are made throughout the state. Full-scale paving may be necessary to repair more severe locations fully. Dedicated crews will be assigned to interstates, while smaller groups will focus on state routes.
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, TDOT explains in the press release. As a result, the department asks drivers to be patient and watch out for TDOT crews on interstates and state highways.
In the press release, TDOT asks the public to be patient as inclement weather, other emergency repairs, or incidents may disrupt daily repair schedules.
TDOT does not count individual potholes, keep a tally of how many potholes have been repaired, or the cost of repairs per pothole, the press release notes. These repairs are part of normal highway maintenance operations.
Motorists can alert TDOT to potholes using this form: https://www.tn.gov/tdot/maintenance/maintenance-request.html
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected]
