WILMINGTON — Residents in the Ogden area will have to avoid Torchwood Boulevard this month. After recent freezing temperatures and ice, the road is falling apart and has been closed by the NCDOT for repairs until February.
Torchwood Boulevard is located outside city limits, so it’s maintained by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT).
NCDOT has been keeping busy this season between two State of Emergencies due to winter weather. It has yet to address Torchwood Boulevard repairs but plans to before the month’s end.
The road’s dilapidation is caused by water findings its way into cracks in the asphalt, which expand when frozen.
NCDOT spokesman Steve Abbott says his department deals with repairing cracked and impassable roads each year.
“What I can tell you is that North Carolina has a more freeze and thaw issue than you have in New England, where the ground stays frozen through most of winter,” Abbott said. “So when snow or ice hits, then melts, water gets into cracks in the roadway.”
With the sun’s absence, temperatures drop, and roads become vulnerable to ice.
“Then the temperature drops again, freezing that water, and it expands, forcing up pieces of asphalt and starting the pothole process,” Abbott said.
Residents in unincorporated areas of Wilmington should call NCDOT’s customer service line at (877) 368-4968 or its southeastern division office at (910) 341-2000 to report potholes or road damage. Residents may also report damage issues online on the state’s Report a Pothole site.
Michael Praats contributed to this article
