Your typical lumps and bumps in the road have nothing on this. Some are calling a pothole in Prichard the “mother of all potholes" because of its size and location. It's along Telegraph Road, wedged in between the train tracks of a railroad crossing. Drivers along this road say that this pothole has all of the right qualifications to cause major damage to their vehicles. When I went out near the pothole earlier today, many people thanked NBC 15 for coming out to highlight the issue. An issue that they say has been affecting the area and the safety of drivers for years.
The sound of your tires hitting a pothole can keep a driver up at night. Especially drivers that frequent Telegraph Road near the Occidental Chemical Corporation in Prichard. Hundreds of drivers come up to the Alabama and Gulf Coast Railroad crossing and some finding ways to navigate a very large pothole, but others aren't always so lucky.
Chiquitta Howard drives up and down this road often. She alerted NBC 15 to the massive pothole, telling us that it's a safety issue.
"It's very hard to miss. This has been an ongoing problem in the community," says Howard.
For about 6 months she says she's tried to get the problem fixed, calling the railroad company, ALDOT, and the city of Prichard.
"Prichard the city and Prichard Water company are two different entities, so they informed me that I had to talk to someone at Prichard Sewer. So of course, DOT got back with me, and they informed me the problem is not them. They want to fix this problem. They want to fix this problem, but they can't fix this problem until Prichard water comes in and fix it," says Howard.
I reached out to ALDOT and a spokesperson told me, “Over the last two months ALDOT has been receiving daily complaints and concerns from local citizens seeking immediate relief from deep potholes and washouts at the crossing at Telegraph Road (U.S. 43) and Jarvis Road in Prichard. ALDOT has no jurisdiction or responsibility over the affected area unless the railroad company ( Alabama & Gulf Coast Railway ) requests ALDOT’s assistance and issues a permit for the work and that has not occurred. ALDOT has been in contact with the railroad company and was notified AGCR met with Prichard Water about this issue.”
Then, I reached out to the Alabama and Gulf Coast Railway, they told me, "AGR has repaired this particular crossing a few times, but a water leak nearby is continuously pouring water into the crossing and recreating potholes. We recognize the nuisance this is causing motorists in the area and are working closely with all parties to resolve the matter as quickly as possible."
Within the last few months in our area, there have been several injuries and a fatality because of trains hitting cars. With a pothole of this size, it's very possible that your tire could pop or get stuck inside of it. Chiquitta Howard says the likelihood of the worst case scenario happening isn't far-fetched.
"What's the danger? You get stuck in this hole, what's the danger? It's a concern because the number of children that's coming down here, the number of elderly people that's coming down here,” says Howard. "What kind of assistance can we get? We need help out here."
I also reached out to the Prichard Water Board to try and get some answers. I was informed the Operations Manager, Mac Underwood, was out today. One board member I did speak with didn't know about the pothole.