FORSYTH COUNTY, N.C. -- The road might look fine. The blacktop could appear to be undamaged. But underneath could be a gaping hole. If you drove through, you'd have no way of knowing until it might be too late.
The Forsyth County Sheriff's Office shared one example of this earlier this week. They posted a photo of Judge Clement Rd. in Walkertown. On the surface, the blacktop is intact, but underneath there's a gaping hole. It's on the 6200 block.
This, among many other reasons, are why DOT and community leaders are urging people not to drive around barricades put up after Hurricane Florence ripped through the state (or any other time, for that matter). NCDOT says as of Friday, nearly 650 roads across the state have some sort of closure on them. And it's important to avoid using those roads until they're deemed safe to use again.
Assessing this sort of damage takes time. DOT crews need to wait for water to recede before they can get eyes on the road. At that point, they need to figure out what kind of fix will not only repair the road, but prevent it from happening in the future. Some repairs could be quick, but others could take months.
Because of all the significant damage across the southern and eastern part of the state, NCDOT is advising drivers to avoid certain areas and counties. Click here to see a list of closures and alternate routes.
► Download the WFMY News 2 App: Apple Users, Android Users