Local News

Pothole Problems Persist Along Interstate-35W

March 2, 2015 / 6:26 PM CST / CBS Texas

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NORTH TEXAS (CBS 11 NEWS) - Last week's ice and snow storm melted over the weekend to reveal many highways littered with potholes. Many who stayed home at that time, are now finding the holes an obstacle in the daily commute.

Potholes form when water under the asphalt freezes and expands. When it melts, the pavement can sink or crumble, causing the hole.

CBS 11 News viewers say one particularly bad stretch is north of Fort Worth, in the construction area on Interstate-35W for the future North Tarrant Express.

Roque Hernandez blew a tire on that road last month, and says the potholes have grown since last week's storm. "Potholes and debris – every time there's a chunk that comes out of the road, it's always sitting somewhere else until somebody hits it," he said.

Jessica Witkowski is another commuter who uses I-35W to get home. "It's basically torn my tires up. I've had to replace tires, had to redo my alignment, all because of this road. Just this road."

Witkowski says she's inquired about getting the potholes fixed before. "It was even worse when it was covered with snow because you can't see the holes coming."

At Hamm's Tire & Wheel in Watauga, manager Tito Velasco says many customers have come in over the last week with busted tires and broken wheels. The crews have worked non-stop since the ice storm, but Velasco says the shop was busy even before then.

"A lot of construction is going on around I-35. I've had quite a few wheels come in that are bent from potholes," Velasco said.

Replacements can cost hundreds of dollars. Velasco warned, "Just be careful with the potholes. They're out there and it can take just one little pothole to affect your tire. If you hit something and it makes you cringe, then you'll know you want to get it checked out."

A spokesperson for The North Tarrant Express project says the section has had an ongoing pothole repair program since the NTE took over the corridor last year, and that crews are continually repairing potholes as they appear, particularly after big storms.

The process for temporarily repairing potholes during construction is called a cold-patch. However, NTE says continuous traffic and severe weather can sometimes weaken the patch.

The infrastructure of I-35W itself is decades old, which is one of the reasons it is being replaced with a better quality highway, the spokesperson said.

Construction is not scheduled to be complete until 2018.

Discount Tire offers the following tips for drivers who hit potholes:

Driving symptoms such as vibration or pulling in the steering wheel indicate damage and service needed
At the first opportunity check the tires and wheels
Look for impact damage : a lump, bubble or tear in the tire sidewall indicates that. If the bubble is large, say the size of a fist, then put the spare on and go to your tire shop
Check the wheel for dents or flat spots. If you see one it indicates a trip to the tire shop
Discount Tire can help. Free inspection to help you determine the extent of damage and whether replacement is called for