The Hilton Head area may be seeing spike in potholes. Here’s why and what SC road crews are doing
Last week, major areas of South Carolina were blanketed in layers of snow and ice that only began to melt away in recent days with the arrival of warmer temperatures.
As the last remnants of ice have slowly melted away, a new problem has begun to unfold for South Carolina roads.
Potholes.
If you’ve felt your tires skidding or noticed some new cracks and holes on the roads, you can thank the melting ice.
What is a freeze-thaw cycle?
A freeze-thaw cycle is when the air temperature drops below or to 32 degrees Fahrenheit (cold enough to freeze water) and then increases enough for the ice to thaw.
Freeze-thaw cycles are defined by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as the total number of times temperature readings cross the 32 degrees (or freezing) threshold during a given time period.
Freeze-thaw cycles are most common in the winter months and can have varying impacts depending on the sector or geographic location they happen.
After about four days’ worth of freezing and thawing temperature levels throughout South Carolina, it’s no surprise that the areas affected may have seen some impacts.
What do freeze-thaw cycles have to do with the roads?
Water expands when it freezes, so whenever water goes into any crack or pocket in the road the freezing, thawing and re-freezing of the water can cause significant damage to roadways.
This damage is seen through the formation of potholes and is most common in roadways but can also occur on sidewalks or other outdoor infrastructure, as this freezing and thawing of ice and water is equally damaging to all different kinds of asphalt and concrete.
These concerns in the roads and walkways can be dangerous to both drivers and pedestrians.
Potholes can cause drivers to unexpectedly swerve or lose control of their vehicle while cracks in roadways left untreated can worsen over time and cause damage to vehicles. For more information about roadway safety, visit the South Carolina Department of Transportation webpage.
Who is in charge of fixing the roads?
The South Carolina Department of Transportation overlooks most of the roads throughout Beaufort County. This includes major roadways like Fording Island Road, William Hilton Parkway, Okatie Highway, US 21 and Robert Smalls Parkway. To find all roads overseen by SCDOT, you can search for a specific road through the SCDOT Roadway Information System website.
To report any potholes or concerns to the SCDOT, you can submit a request here.
The SCDOT told the Island Packet that they are actively monitoring all requests regarding potholes and roadway damage. Hannah Robinson, spokesperson for the SCDOT, stated that there are currently requests in the queue that are scheduled for repair. The head of roadway maintenance for the SCDOT was not allowed to comment regarding how they are currently handling maintenance requests.
For Beaufort County owned roads, the Beaufort County Public Works Department has two numbers to contact regarding concerns for local roads.
Northern Beaufort County: (843) 255-2737
Southern Beaufort County: (843) 255-2821
