Rough Interstate Highways (I-40)

[znt1186]

Check out the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) report card on the infrastructure in the US. Most highways and bridges get a D or worse on a five grade scale. There are a number of issues, but primarily it is lack of maintenance and the constant pounding by heavy trucks. I26 between Asheville and Hendersonville, NC was refurbished about five years ago and is undergoing round 2 now. As an engineer for 40 years, there are a lot of things that could be kicked around for months, but everyone must remember that the interstate highway system was started in the Eisenhower era and a lot of the design and construction was done in the 60's and 70's. Trucks are heavier and there are more of them. However, that does not excuse the lack of appropriations from our leaders for infrastructure maintenance. We should slow the flow of money out of the country and focus on our needs at home first IMHO. Write your congressman and encourage them to get our own house in order first. It seems we spend billions trying to get other countries to like us. They will as long as the money comes. When it stops, we will find that they like the dollars just fine. America though, not so much.

[F4Gary]

Originally Posted by UFO Pilot

, but it is the asphalt to concrete transitions that are horrible! I don't understand why they can't make a smooth transition, almost every one is bone jarring.

I completely agree! It like they never finished the repave job.

[Lazy Lynn]

Washington state I-90 is horrible. A few stretches are fair but most of it will rattle your teeth.

[UFO Pilot]

It isn't just the major roads in CA, City and County roads seem to be just as bad.

[Highway 4x4]

Yes the roads here are just a notch above a dirt road. My Ram has a good 4x4 suspension and needs it for the freeways. I have been shook so hard I think the seats are going to brake loose from the body. It always looks like the MH's are riding much smoother than I am. Sometimes I wonder. What I find odd is that I see no major media asking the Cal politicians like Gov. J Brown any hard questions about it, unless i just miss them. Where is the billions in tax money going? [moderator edit] How many added taxes and bonds do we have to have so that the money can be diverted to other places so we can have more bonds and taxes to supposedly fix the roads?

[marjoa]

IMO, this is real simple. The result of these crumbling municipalities, whether it is the Calif., Arizona and other States Highway System, poisoned city water supply like Flint Michigan or a gov't agency that dumped 1 million gallons of waste water into the Animas River in Colorado, called it an accident and will change that area forever.....it's the VOTERS that put and continue to put these same clowns into office and they appoint other people to these different agencies. We would NEVER allow one these folks to run our family business—yet—when it comes to running the State or the Country and actually looking at their resumé and seeing if they have ever even accomplished anything good in their life and has the qualifications to run a business or a municipality, doesn't seem to matter in a most cases. Remember the nearly 1 Trillion dollar shovel ready jobs deal that wasn't really that shovel ready? THEN, when we actually do have someone that has built & accomplished many things in their life they're attacked as unqualified.

So, this is simple to me. America's states, need to quit electing the same ol' people who don't accomplish things for the good of the people and then expect different results every election cycle. Until this endless cycle of self destruction ends the results we are discussing here will only continue. Real simple actually.

[Steve Ownby]

Originally Posted by marjoa

IMO, this is real simple. The result of these crumbling municipalities, whether it is the Calif., Arizona and other States Highway System, poisoned city water supply like Flint Michigan or a gov't agency that dumped 1 million gallons of waste water into the Animas River in Colorado, called it an accident and will change that area forever.....it's the VOTERS that put and continue to put these same clowns into office and they appoint other people to these different agencies. We would NEVER allow one these folks to run our family business—yet—when it comes to running the State or the Country and actually looking at their resumé and seeing if they have ever even accomplished anything good in their life and has the qualifications to run a business or a municipality, doesn't seem to matter in a most cases. Remember the nearly 1 Trillion dollar shovel ready jobs deal that wasn't really that shovel ready? THEN, when we actually do have someone that has built & accomplished many things in their life they're attacked as unqualified.



So, this is simple to me. America's states, need to quit electing the same ol' people who don't accomplish things for the good of the people and then expect different results every election cycle. Real simple actually.

Well said sir!

[Hames57]

Originally Posted by Fiesta48

Why is the government asking for billions to fix our infratructure?

In order to fix the crappy roads I'm guessing.

[Highway 4x4]

Originally Posted by marjoa

IMO, this is real simple. The result of these crumbling municipalities, whether it is the Calif., Arizona and other States Highway System, poisoned city water supply like Flint Michigan or a gov't agency that dumped 1 million gallons of waste water into the Animas River in Colorado, called it an accident and will change that area forever.....it's the VOTERS that put and continue to put these same clowns into office and they appoint other people to these different agencies. We would NEVER allow one these folks to run our family business—yet—when it comes to running the State or the Country and actually looking at their resumé and seeing if they have ever even accomplished anything good in their life and has the qualifications to run a business or a municipality, doesn't seem to matter in a most cases. Remember the nearly 1 Trillion dollar shovel ready jobs deal that wasn't really that shovel ready? THEN, when we actually do have someone that has built & accomplished many things in their life they're attacked as unqualified.

So, this is simple to me. America's states, need to quit electing the same ol' people who don't accomplish things for the good of the people and then expect different results every election cycle. Until this endless cycle of self destruction ends the results we are discussing here will only continue. Real simple actually.

100% correct. But if that did happen we would have to endure the constant protests and marches of of paid protesters and those that will not be getting their government handouts while the money is going where it should. Just fix the roads. This open border, free healthcare, free college, free what ever I want but can't pay for is old. I want a free RV, it's my right.
We really just need to avoid the worst of the roads, go slow on the rest and get on with life.

[hohokam]

How did this become a right wing political forum? I seem to remember this being a violation of forum guidelines.

[southernlady]

Y'all do realize if the roads are ever fixed, people won't be working? It's a permanent job to fix lousy roads.

[Highway 4x4]

Rough roads,,,, that's why I head out of Cal and go where I know the roads are better.

[Gordon Dewald]

Much of the issue of road deterioration is the lack of road maintenance and restoration. It is very easy for the politicians to cut back repair funds when the roads appear to be good to very good. 4 years does not seem to make much difference so they hold back the appropriations again.

Eventually the road gets to fair or poor condition and that is where the remaining money is spent. Fixing roads in poor condition is expensive and fixing roads in poor condition is outright costly (generally replacement). So it seems the majority of money is spent on moderate or poor and not on the roads in good condition when small amounts of money return the biggest savings.

Spending money at the right time is the biggest return on keeping good roads.

I have worked with jurisdictions who let their road network deteriorate so badly they had to turn some paved roads back to gravel in order to maintain them and the rest of the infrastructure.

[Superslif]

I think road projects go out for bid, and the "cheapest" bid gets the job. So if your a few million under the other bidders, what are you going to do? Answer: CUT CORNERS...I'll see sections of roads that stay beautiful for the next 5-10 years. Other sections I'll see falling apart after just a few years.

They repaved my street 2 years ago. After 6 months it's as bad as it was before...The whole center crown of the road, the new asphalt is 1/2" thick....It's all coming up...Told my council person and they just shrug their shoulders.... Now they have put a 3/4% income tax increase on the May ballot.

One thing I'll say about Alaska. During last summers trip, they do a bang up job on how they blend the new paved ( repaired ) section to the old section. There is never a bump or mound...smooth as silk...I don't know how they do it, but they need to come down to the lower 48 and show maintenance crews how it's done.