SAN ANTONIO -- TxDOT officials say a large pothole is to blame for leaving nearly 20 drivers stranded by the side of the interstate on Thursday morning.
Traffic was backed up for nearly two miles on I-10 westbound at New Braunfels. TxDOT San Antonio announced on its Twitter account around 8 a.m. that they would be closing the center and right lane until work is complete.
San Antonio police said they first started getting reports of the pothole around 7 a.m.
“I counted a total of about 18 cars all together,” said Robert Heifner, who drove through the stretch of I-10 late Wednesday night and blew out a tire. On his way back through on Thursday morning, he blew out his spare tire.
"My front end banged and my back end banged," he said. "And I looked back and I didn't see no board or anything out there."
TxDOT crews were working on the pothole into the afternoon.
TxDOT spokeswoman Laura Lopez said, “As far as who pays for it? As a general rule, that’s a road hazard and that’s not something that TxDOT normally pays for.”
She said any drivers who hit the pothole should contact their insurance company, instead.
