9 investigates NCDOT system for fixing potholes

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — One of the most common complaints that officials hear from drivers is about potholes.

You can find hundreds of potholes on local and state roads across North Carolina, according to the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

NCDOT launched a new pothole-reporting database in January promising that all potholes will be fixed in 48 hours.

Channel 9 put the system to the test. Eyewitness News Reporter Joe Bruno found a large pothole on Independence Boulevard and several on Route 273 in Mount Holly.

"They have been here all the time. It is an ongoing thing," Daniel Cunningham, a Route 273 commuter, said. "You hit these potholes, and it is hard to dodge them because there is nowhere to go."

In the new pothole-reporting system, drivers answer questions about a pothole's location, size and potential for damage.

Channel 9 has learned that since January, 40 percent of potholes reported in Division 10 weren't fixed in the promised two days. District 10 is comprised of Anson, Cabarrus, Mecklenburg, Stanly and Union counties.

In Division 12, 42 percent of potholes weren't fixed in the required time period. District 12 consists of Alexander, Catawba, Cleveland, Gaston, Iredell and Lincoln counties.

During Channel 9's test of the system, crews filled the pothole on Independence Boulevard and most of the potholes on Route 273 in the required 48-hour time period.

According to NCDOT spokeswoman Jordan-Ashley Walker, several factors go into determining whether a pothole needs to be filled.

"It depends on the location, road and depth," she said. "If we encounter a very large pothole in the middle of an interstate that could cause an accident, that's one we want to address first."

According to Walker, each pothole reported through the system is examined. Crews determine how big they are and whether they pose a danger to drivers. It costs the state an average of $75 to fill each pothole.

"This time of the year is prime time for crews being able to go out and do that work quickly," Walker said.

NCDOT officials anticipate response times improving in the summer.

Read more top trending stories on wsoctv.com:

• 2 Lincoln County schools closing early after crash knocks out power
• Long View man tells police he killed his wife, officials say
• CMPD: 3 customers shot inside north Charlotte adult club
• Arrest made in slaying of 79-year-old Kannapolis man
• Firefighters rescue wheelchair-bound man from Rock Hill fire
• Barber accused of pulling gun on customer, saying, 'I don't cut black hair'

Cox Media Group