NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — While the snow has stopped, Middle Tennessee residents could be feeling the effects of the winter weather for weeks to come.
“You can see right here, see the bend in the wheel,” said Jason Mann, pointing out just one customer’s car that fell victim to a pothole.
“Sometimes it will bend that wheel, and you won’t realize it, and eventually it will crack that wheel or your losing air out of that wheel, now you’re stuck on the side of the road,” explained Mann.
Mann and his wife have owned McMannz Tire and Wheel for the past 7 years but say this winter season has been different. Mann explains his crew has been working every day through the snow and ice, fixing tires that have been damaged by potholes.
As the temperature outside rises and more people drive on the street, many are hitting a roadblock in the form of potholes popping up across the area.
“Especially on roadways that have a lot of traffic, the potholes seem to be a little bit worse, just from that constant traffic and tires on the roadway going over it over and over again,” explained Megan Cooper, a AAA Spokesperson.
Cooper said crews are working earlier than expected. She explaind, instead of cold weather impacting the roads over several months, Middle Tennessee was pounded with snow and ice in just one week, giving little time for relief on the roadways.
“We typically see them in springtime, after we’ve had a couple of months of some really cold weather, some below-freezing temperatures, and then when it warms up in the Springtime, that’s when those potholes typically emerge. This week it’s not out of the question to start to begin to see those potholes,” explained Cooper.
On Friday, the Tennessee Highway Patrol was called out to help. In a Twitter photo, law enforcement was working with TDOT crews to patch potholes in Rutherford County.
Mann said he is expecting more customers headed into his shop in the coming week. As the ice melts, he said drivers should expect to see more holes.
It has already been a hectic week for the Tennessee Department of Transportation. Crews have been working day and night to clear roadways, and help people who have been stuck due to the snow.
On Friday, TDOT tweeted out saying their “work isn’t over yet.” Starting next week, plow operators will be treating potholes.
If there is a pothole you would like to report, TDOT is encouraging you to fill out this form here.
If you live in Nashville click here.
