A “Pothole Blitz” launched last week by the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) is off to a fast start, according to transportation officials.
In the first eight days of the blitz, the public reported nearly 5,000 potholes to SCDOT, about 10 times the normal amount.
“Eighty-three percent of those potholes reported by the public have already been repaired and the remainder should be completed within the next week,” said Deputy Secretary for Engineering Leland Colvin. “We would like to thank the public for their help in reporting potholes. SCDOT launched the statewide effort Jan. 10 after weeks of heavy rainfall caused a significant increase in the number of potholes.”
To help combat the problem, SCDOT began the “Pothole Blitz” by focusing SCDOT maintenance crews on repairing potholes across the state for the next several weeks.
Pothole repairs are a temporary fix to make the roads safer for motorists. These repairs can last several weeks, but in severely wet, high traffic areas, pothole repairs may only last a matter of days before additional repairs may be required. However, repairing the potholes, even temporarily, is the best option to provide safe travel until more permanent improvements can be made.
The public is asked to continue to help SCDOT by reporting potholes via SCDOT’s website, www.scdot.org, or by calling the SCDOT at 855-GO-SCDOT (855-467-2368).
“Please use caution while driving and watch out for our work crews out on the roads trying to make these temporary repairs,” Colvin said.
