A crack that Mr. Denham has identified as the "North Main fault." (Scott Denham photo)

Bicyclist Scott Denham is a pothole watcher. As someone who rides daily on both town and state roads, he sees road hazards up close. After a road-inflicted flat tire late this spring, he decided to create an online map with photos to point other cyclists and state transportation officials to some of the most glaring problems on local roads.

State Department of Transportation officials responded by sending out a patching crew to fix some of the problems.

Mr. Denham, who is also a Davidson College professor, began taking photos of road problems this spring and posted them on a Google map. On June 5, he sent the map to both Doug Wright, the town of Davidson’s project and public works manager, and to the state Department of Transportation.

The map is sprinkled with colorful names: “N. Main fault” and “Killer drain grate.” Mr. Denham has used Google Maps to add photos for some.

“Davidson is a biking and walking community, but then you have these potholes that can kill somebody,” or “smash a 400-dollar wheel,” Mr. Denham said. He said his morning cycling group decided to eliminate Concord Road from their rides because the pavement was so treacherous.

Most of the problems on the map are on state-maintained roads such as Concord Road and Main Street. And Mr. Denham’s campaign for repairs has already gotten results, which he’s noted on the map with green “pins.”

In June, state DOT officials responded and actually patched some of the holes on Concord Road, though many remain. “I’ve already had a cordial correspondence with the DOT,” Mr. Denham said. He also has enlisted the aid of Mr. Wright, who is also a cyclist.

Mr. Denham got an email in early June from Brett Canipe, a DOT maintenance engineer for Mecklenburg County, thanking him for the information.

“We will make an assessment of the specific areas and schedule any needed work as soon as possible.  The detailed maps you provided and your interest in the state highway system are appreciated,” Mr. Canipe wrote.

Mr. Denham said he is grateful for the work, but other problems remain, so he’s keeping the map going.

LINK

Go to Mr. Denham’s “Pothole Report for Davidson” on Google Maps, CLICK HERE>