KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Potholes are starting to open across East Tennessee after snow and rain moved into the region. The Tennessee Department of Transportation said they can do a lot of damage. The agency said crews are patching potholes as fast as they can, but it's also urging drivers to be careful on the roads.
In a matter of just a few days, Tennessee went from snow and ice to heavy showers. Matthew Wu, who lives in New York City, was heading back home when he hit a pothole.
"I was visiting my family in Scott County, was on my way back to New York getting on I-75," Wu said. "You can't see due to the dark and the rain and apparently, there's a car-sized pothole that took out my car and about 15 others."
Mark Nagi, TDOT's spokesperson, said a small crack in the road can grow large. Crews are patching the roads every day all across the region, but it's temporary.
"You have the freezing and thawing cycle, along with all the precipitation and all the vehicles that are going over our roadways," Nagi said. "The pothole that our crews will go over one day, they may end up going over that same exact pothole only a few days later depending on the traffic and depending on how much precipitation that we get."
Drivers can report when they see a pothole online, or they can call 833-TDOTFIX (836-8349).
If a pothole damages your tire, you can file a report with the state Division of Claims Administration to see if you qualify for reimbursement.
Dustin Harbin, manager of a Knoxville auto company, said potholes can do a lot of damage.
"You can break a built-in tire that will cause a goose egg, as you will, to kind of come out on the side of the tire. You can puncture a tire, you can break a rim been around suspension, your inner and outer tie rods, ball joints," Harbin said. "Tires these days can be anywhere from $100 to $300 a tire. For a used rim? Probably looking to $300."
Wu's visit to a farm came with a big price tag, and if time is money then this trip was a bit pricier than what he expected.
"Two tires, it's gonna cost about $1,200 to replace," Wu said. "Normally I'd hope to arrive tonight by 5 p.m. but now I'm not gonna get home until about 1 a.m."