TDOT repairs potholes on I-40

MADISON COUNTY, Tenn. — If you’ve driven on I-40 recently, you may have noticed the amount of potholes.

WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News was led to this problem after a viewer called in voicing concerns.

Brenda Mainord was driving to Jackson one day, when she warned her husband about the roads.

“I told my husband, ‘you don’t get on I-40 at all.’ I said, ‘you get on the old highway,’ Mainord said.

She says there were dozens of potholes between Brownsville and Jackson.

“You almost have to make a zigzag to miss the potholes,” Mainord said.

The potholes are not small by any means.

“The potholes are so huge that they’re about as big around as a basketball. And they’re deep, and they’re just everywhere,” Mainord said.

The potholes are so bad, in fact, the Tennessee Department of Transportation has dedicated an entire day to getting out on I-40 and fixing them.

“This is the time of year when potholes are the worst, from now until spring,” said TDOT Community Relations Officer Nichole Lawrence.

Until it warms up, they’ll be patching those potholes.

“The only thing we can really do is a temporary fix with a cold mix,” Lawrence said.

However, they are staying on top of the problem.

“As soon as they pop up, we are monitoring them. We have crews out every day checking all the highways,” Lawrence said.

She also gave advice for what drivers should do if they spot a pothole.

“Definitely call our regional office, 731-935-0100. They can get online and send us a TDOT comment email, and we can make sure we send crews out to make sure those potholes are filled as quickly as possible,” Lawrence said.

Lawrence says the potholes are made worse by all the rain we’ve had recently.

For more on reporting potholes online to TDOT, visit the “Seen On 7” section of our website.