Nashville potholes rank worst in US: study

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – A recent study is ranking Nashville at No. 1 when it comes to the biggest pothole problems in the nation.

The ranking comes from QuoteWizard.com. Over the last year, QuoteWizard analyzed search data for pothole related complaints and repairs for each state.

Nashville beat cities like New York City, Los Angeles and even Philadelphia, but some aren’t surprised.

“It’s either damaging the wheels, tire blown or it’s damaging people’s inner or outer tie rods or even control arms,” Midas Service Advisor Seth Gonzales said.

Shops like Midas often repair cars with pothole damage. Gonzales said he sees them about 75% of the time.

“I’ve seen an increase in it especially when winter comes, the rain gets in breaking up roads. It just creates even more potholes in the road,” Gonzales said.

With colder weather continuing, Rebekah Hammonds, a spokesperson for the Tennessee Department of Transportation, said they are gearing up for the winter.

“Back in the late winter we enacted our enhanced resurfacing program that puts extra money, extra funds and additional resurfacing projects on our calendar so that roads that are really needing it before this winter get taken care of,” Hammonds said.

Between the enhanced resurfacing program and the road repair hotline, the goal is to be more prepared this pothole season.

“We hopefully won’t be so inundated with requests or complaints because everything will be coming through that hotline and be disseminated to us in a much more streamline way,” Hammonds said.

The following cities have the worst potholes, according to QuoteWizard:

1. Nashville, Tenn.
2. Spokane, Wash.
3. Yakima, Wash.
4. Philadelphia
5. Seattle
6. Grand Junction, Colo.
7. New York City
8. Kansas City, Mo
9. Los Angeles
10. Burlington, Vt.
11. Lafayette, Ind.

To report a pothole for repair, call the TDOT Road Repair Hotline at 833-TDOTFIX (836-8349).

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