Potholes: Driving into town the other day, I discovered many more potholes on NY Route 28. I eventually memorize the locations of potholes and drive around them. I'll have to put my...

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Driving into town the other day, I discovered many more potholes on NY Route 28. I eventually memorize the locations of potholes and drive around them. I'll have to put my memory into overdrive. We've had so much rain and cold weather that little cracks in the asphalt have turned into large holes. I suspect that the construction of roads isn't what it should be. They put layer after layer of asphalt over the roads, and eventually, it's like a layer cake. I saw the guys out yesterday shoveling asphalt into the holes, like that will fix the problem.

I think that building the road correctly in the first place would be less expensive than having to repair the roads constantly. My son blew a total of three tires hitting potholes on rainy nights. At over $100 per tire, that got to be expensive.

JBuckley

Our little town, has the same problem with "pot holes".
A few days ago, someone posted the cartoon photo of
two old golfers commenting on their golf game, as they
were using the asphalt roadway, (with dozens of pot
holes). Our locals, could hold a pro golf tournament
in our town, and call it the "Caltrans Open".

The local auto repair shops, love the holes, as they
are able to realign vehicles after the drivers veer into
a dozen "deep pot holes" in town.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

JBuckley wrote:

Our little town, has the same problem with "p... (show quote)

And the owners of the auto repair shops are on the board of the highway department. 😂

rcarol

jerryc41 wrote:

Driving into town the other day, I discovered many... (show quote)

Your highway tax dollars at work.

Bmarsh Loc: Bellaire, MI

I read an article that said the problem is that road contracts always go to the lowest bidder. That if they paid some 20% more.. The road would last at least twice as long. Seems like a no brainer but of course, we're dealing with.... <fill in the blank>

Scruples Loc: Brooklyn, New York

jerryc41 wrote:

Driving into town the other day, I discovered many... (show quote)

One night in our hospital’s emergency room a patient came in with a fracture on the left fibia/tibia and the right ankle. It seems the patient tripped on a pothole while crossing the street.

Drbobcameraguy Loc: Eaton Ohio

Bmarsh wrote:

I read an article that said the problem is that road contracts always go to the lowest bidder. That if they paid some 20% more.. The road would last at least twice as long. Seems like a no brainer but of course, we're dealing with.... <fill in the blank>

I read something similar. In the UK they require a warranty on the new or resurfaced roads.

Ollieboy

The problem is that pothole repairs are not always done correctly. If the repair is not sealed with "liquid tar" around the perimeter, it will only loosen up the asphalt and allow water to seep in and freeze causing the asphalt to break up. Back to square 1.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

I lived in a small town. One year the main road through town was due for repaving. The highway superintendant went to the selectmen and asked for money for the paving. The selectmen were frugal stingy and put half the amount he asked for into the budget.

When summer came along, the superintendent started paving the eastbound side of the main road. Got it all done. A couple weeks later the selectmen asked when he was going to pave the westbound side. He told them it would get paved when his budget was completed. The selectmen found the money somehow.

ClarkJohnson Loc: Fort Myers, FL and Cohasset, MA

So move to Florida. Very little road damage due to freezing weather. We get sinkholes instead.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Bmarsh wrote:

I read an article that said the problem is that road contracts always go to the lowest bidder. That if they paid some 20% more.. The road would last at least twice as long. Seems like a no brainer but of course, we're dealing with.... <fill in the blank>

State highways are repaired by state workers, and it works down to the town level in NY. The trouble is that "repair" involves throwing some asphalt into the hole and stomping it down.

DIRTY HARRY Loc: Hartland, Michigan

Ollieboy wrote:

The problem is that pothole repairs are not always done correctly. If the repair is not sealed with "liquid tar" around the perimeter, it will only loosen up the asphalt and allow water to seep in and freeze causing the asphalt to break up. Back to square 1.

Sealing the pothole? I've seen them just toss a couple of shovel full of mix on a water filled pot hole??? Next day, guess what?

Country Boy Loc: Beckley, WV

A couple years ago someone ran an article in our local paper and had a photo of a guy sitting on a box and fishing in one of the water filled holes. It got a great laugh but I'm not sure if the highway department reacted to it.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

DIRTY HARRY wrote:

Sealing the pothole? I've seen them just toss a couple of shovel full of mix on a water filled pot hole??? Next day, guess what?

I avoid driving over a newly-filled pothole because the gravel get kicked up onto my car.

A guy in NH told me about a dilemma with road repair. The town would hire a company to put tar (or whatever) over cracks in the road to seal them. The town wasn't sure how to pay the company. If they paid by the mile, the company would put down a very thin layer. If they paid by the amount used, they would lay it on much too thick.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

Sometimes the only way to get the quality you want is to do it yourself.