Potholes cover area; workers striking back

Like other communities throughout the state, Shelbyville and Bedford County have a pothole problem.

Winter weather, snow and ice seep into cracks in the pavement. Ice expands as it freezes, and it can have enough force to loosen chunks of pavement. Rough winter weather in January and February has created potholes across the state.

"We're just like the state, and everybody else," said Bedford County Highway Superintendent Stanley Smotherman. "It's county-wide."

Mark Clanton of Shelbyville Public Works said he has four crews working every day on potholes and that it will take at least another week to patch all of the holes with the cold mix asphalt available this year.

Smotherman's work crews are trying to deal with the problem as best they can, but wet weather makes it difficult to get a good patch. Reached Monday morning, Smotherman said that after several days of sunny weather, Monday would have been an ideal day to fill potholes -- if it hadn't started raining overnight.

Both Clanton and Smotherman said the cold mix material available at this point in the year is not a permanent fix and may come loose.

"We'll just go back and keep hitting the ones we've hit," said Clanton.

Hot mix asphalt is a more permanent solution, but the plants which produce and sell hot mix asphalt don't open until the temperature permits the asphalt to be transported and worked with. Smotherman and Clanton both said the hot mix plants will likely open around April 1.

Smotherman noted that the county has about 680 miles of road to maintain and repair, which means potholes won't disappear overnight.

"It takes time," he said. He said drivers may just have to be careful about the potholes they can see on the roads they drive most often.

Clanton urged city drivers to call the public works office, 684-2644, to report new or re-opened potholes.