NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A stretch of Interstate 24 in downtown Nashville has become prone to potholes, and the Tennessee Department of Transportation has been frustrated in finding a permanent solution.

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Keith Matthews needs two new tires and custom wheels after a pothole he hit last month caused severe damage to his car. He told Channel 4 he heard a loud noise then pulled over to find he had two flat tires and his wheels were bent.

"It's going to cost about two grand," Matthews said.

TDOT spokesperson B.J. Doughty said TDOT is well aware of the continuing problems along that section of road. Both the eastbound and westbound lanes of I-24 over Main Street are affected.

"This pothole has been an ongoing maintenance issue for the department," said Doughty.

She said the problem is the deteriorating concrete on the bridge, which was built in the 1960s and recovered with another layer of concrete in the 1980s. The concrete patches don't hold very long because there is so much traffic on that stretch, she said.

"This is one of the most heavily-traveled sections of interstate, with well over 100,000 cars a day passing over it," Doughty said.

The long-term solution, she said, is to replace the top deck of the bridge, which will be very inconvenient for motorists, but must be done eventually.

Matthews said he is filing a claim with the state for the damage done to his car, but TDOT said the state rarely pays unless someone can show that TDOT knew about the problem and ignored it.

"We've been out to repair potholes along that section five times since August," Doughty said.