NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — You've seen them everywhere. Potholes are on interstates, in your neighborhoods and everywhere in-between since the snow melted away.
But why?
They form when snow-melt or rain seeps through cracks in the pavement. When the moisture goes through the freeze/thaw cycle, the ice expands, then melts away leaving cracks underneath.
Passing traffic weakens the pavement, cracking it further. And the void collects more water when it rains. So during the next freeze, the void gets even bigger.
Vehicles driving over the weakened pavement pound it until the surface breaks and collapses, creating a pothole.
During the snow week across Middle Tennessee the freeze-thaw happened multiple times on roadways due to low temps and hot cars.
TDOT says because Tennessee gets more flooding than snow, it uses asphalt that gets good drainage. But that means the asphalt allows more of that snow to seep in. And making matters worse: most asphalt plants shut down in winter, forcing TDOT to use what it refers to as a "cold mix" to fill potholes, which is little more than a band aid.
Thankfully TDOT tells NewsChannel 5 more plants will open Monday to supply them with "hot mix," a much better option than what they've been using. Crews hope to make more progress on the rough pavement this week, but it's going to take time to get to everything.
They're even using a private company that's using infared technology to seamlessly fuse the pavement back together. It's a slower process, so you might come across them on some of the area's state routes.
TDOT staff ask that you continue to report any potholes you see on interstates or state roads (including most of Nashville's major pikes). You can contact them by calling 833-TDOTFIX (836-8349) or by filling out an online request form.
For local streets, contact your city or town's transportation department. In Nashville, you can report a pothole with Hub Nashville by dialing 311 or going to hub.nashville.gov.
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