If you’ve noticed more road maintenance around Lexington County lately, it’s for good reason.

The SC Department of Transportation launched its “Pothole Blitz” Jan. 10. Weeks of heavy rainfall caused a significant increase in the number of potholes, an SCDOT spokesperson said in an email.

The public reported nearly 5,000 potholes to SCDOT in 8 days. That’s about 10 times the normal amount.

“83% percent of those potholes reported by the public have already been repaired, and the remainder should be completed within the next week,” said Deputy Secretary for Engineering Leland Colvin.

“We would like to thank the public for their help in reporting potholes,” Colvin said.

Pothole repairs are a temporary fix to make the roads safer for motorists. These repairs can last several weeks, but in severely wet, high traffic areas, pothole repairs may only last a matter of days. Additional repairs may be required, SCDOT said in a statement.

“Please use caution while driving, and watch out for our work crews out on the roads trying to make these temporary repairs,” Colvin said.

The public is asked to continue to help SCDOT by reporting potholes via SCDOT’s website, www.scdot.org or by calling SCDOT at 855-467-2368.