Warmer Weekend Portends Pothole Proliferation

NASHVILLE, TN -- This weekend's expected warm-up will be a welcome change for Middle Tennesseans cooped up inside or heavily bundled when forced out of doors, but climbing temperatures will likely crack the roads, opening up potholes.

Potholes are caused by a combination of traffic stress and changing weather. Expansion and contraction from freezing water and melting ice exacerbates cracks caused by traffic, collapsing the top layer of a road surface, opening up a hole.

After a week of frigid air, Middle Tennessee will see temperatures in the 60s by Sunday and potholes are a consequence.

WSMV reports that Metro and state crews have been patching potholes this week, but the crews tasked with clearing and salting roads are the same as those responsible for road repairs and with many roads still iced over, it's hard to keep up.

Drivers can report potholes on line and those that incur significant damage from potholes can file a claim with Metro, but to receive payment, drivers must prove negligence.

That standard is so high that WSMV found that Metro only paid out one claim for pothole damage between 2013 and 2016.

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