SMYRNA, Tenn. (WKRN) — State and local agencies are out fixing potholes in Smyrna made by January’s ice storm.
“This is something we go through every year when we have terrible storms like we do. You’re going to have potholes. You’re going to have this,” State Rep. Mike Sparks (R-Smyrna) told News 2.
On Wednesday morning, Tennessee Department of Transportation crews closed two lanes at a time on Interstate 24 by Sam Ridley Parkway, so they could mill the pavement, essentially removing the top layer to leave a smooth roadway for drivers.
📧 Have breaking news come to you: Subscribe to News 2 email alerts →
“This (is) something we’ve just got to be patient with,” Rep. Sparks added. “I just want to thank TDOT and their truck drivers and all their road crews for doing the awesome job they’re doing.”
The milling is a temporary solution until the pavement can be fully resurfaced this spring.
Meanwhile, in Smyrna, the Town’s streets department applied more than 350 tons of salt to side streets and priority roads. And all that salt — mixed with plowing and freezing temperatures — has caused some deterioration in certain spots.
“Currently, we’ve had pretty close to 100 pothole repairs that we’ve made since the storm event ended,” Tom Rose, Public Works Director for the Town of Smyrna, told News 2.
Town officials said the biggest challenge they faced was when the freezing rain came down, and tree limbs began breaking and falling into the roadway.
⏩ Read today’s top stories on wkrn.com
“All the trees and brush are all now gone and we finished up a little bit on Monday with some salting and plowing some minor roads as well, and then we also kind of helped the school as well, giving them some salt to be able to put down on the school property to make sure that they were safe and the kids were safe to return to school on Monday,” Rose explained.
If you’d like to report a pothole in Smyrna, you can call the Town Hall by phone or text at (629) 295-TOWN (8696) or via email at mysmyrna@townofsmyrna.org. Regular business hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
You can also contact the public works department directly at (615) 459-9766.
