NASHVILLE, Tenn. — As winter weather continues to create potholes across Tennessee and the mid-south, the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is using all available staffing to repair the damaged areas as quickly as possible.
In a statement, TDOT said this month’s back-to-back winter storms created an abundance of potholes along interstates and state highways.
As the weather allows, multiple crews will be patching potholes over the coming days and weeks. However, they caution it may be spring or early summer before more permanent repairs are made throughout the state. Dedicated crews will be assigned to interstates, while smaller groups will focus on state routes.
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. These repairs are part of normal highway maintenance operations.
Below is what TDOT has spent spent so far this year and what they've spent in past years.
Statewide Expenditures for pothole patching
- FY2022 (thru 1/19/22) – $3.32M ($9.16M budget)
- FY2021 - $7.23M ($8.91M budget)
- FY2020 - $8.11M ($8.60M budget)
- FY2019 - $8.79M ($7.17M budget)
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 asks drivers to be patient and watch out for crews on interstates and state highways.
Motorists can alert TDOT to potholes using this form.