‘We were in the hole’: Gallatin drivers warn of ongoing project for pavement collapse
GALLATIN, Tenn. (WKRN) — A Gallatin pavement failure left some drivers questioning ongoing projects in the area.
Two drivers told News 2 a pavement collapse caused damage to their car and others.
“We were in the hole or the trough before we knew it,” Gallatin resident Mark Hitchins said. “We couldn’t have been going more than 15 [miles per hour].”
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Gallatin residents Ellen and Mark Hitchins said they were driving down South Water Avenue on Saturday in their new Volkswagen Beatle when their vehicle hit a hole in the roadway along East Smith Street.
“We hit down and scraped the front end of the car,” Ellen described.
Ellen told News 2 the hole was several inches deep. She said it was not covered for the entire weekend, affecting a driver with an F-250 Ford pickup truck.
The gaping hole is now covered with a temporary patch surrounded by cones. Just alongside the patch is a man-sized hole where repairs are underway.
“I just think things are happening very fast here in Gallatin, and I think sometimes the good of the order is lost sight of,” Ellen said. “I just think that it’s just that let’s get this done, get this filled in and let’s go. They don’t really look at the big picture.”
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The assistant city engineer with Capital Improvements declined to talk on camera, but said the pavement failure was noticed and reported by drivers on Saturday.
Underneath the pavement was a storm pipe; the pavement above was originally patched over with a cold patch.
The representative said it “settled more than anticipated and caused a pavement failure.”
“You better be driving defensively for a while to just make sure that you are not going to hit something like that,” Ellen warned.
As repairs on the storm drain and the pavement above continue, Ellen and Mark said the city needs to take initiative on future projects.
“Ultimately, yes, it is up to the city because it is the city’s responsibility,” Ellen argued. “So have a project manager, have an inspector, somebody come out and look at it and say this is not good. You have got to do better.”
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City engineers said there is no estimated time of completion for the repairs.
For the time being, they recommend driving with your full attention on the road and being cautious of pavement in the area.
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