Is there any reason we cant patch roads so its nice and smooth when you drive over the patch job?
Ive noticed the patches seem to be getting worse as far as being proud of the road. Why cant they go back and grind some of the excess away or tamp it smoother to begin with.
I am also sick of the violent transitions on the interstate from roadway to bridges.
I like a nice smooth rode and its anything other than that now a days and im tired of it. These roads ate really beating our vehicles around here.
From a technical perspective, pavement patching material has to overfill the hole, then get compacted. That is a very imprecise process - and it’s better of overfill than to underfill. So to get the road smooth, it has to be ground smooth. That takes time and money. It’s clear the priorities for the US (which I am assuming you are in as this is an international forum) is not infrastructure. We have a ton of bridges and roads that need maintenance.
If you want to have this fixed, vote for candidates that are likely to realize that taxes are going to be raised to accomplish this. If you don’t, the problem will continue.
Oh, and I’ve noticed that complaints seems to be your normal modus operandi. Maybe we could get these roads fixed if we channeled our energy towards fixing things rather than complaining on the internet.
+1
Most of the roads in my county are in very good condition (It varies a LOT from one county to another), but the failure to adequately raise the manholes/manhole covers after repaving is an annoyance. Thump… thump.
Reminds me of a story my cousin told me years ago. She lives in Brooklyn, NY. There was a short connecting road near her. It was notoriously rough and full of potholes. Finally, miracles of miracles, the local road crews showed up to repave the entire street (a couple of hundred feet long). They finished and everybody in the neighborhood was amazed how nice and smooth it was!
Two weeks later crews came by. They had to access water or electric below (Great planning, right?) They dug big trenches in the road. (You know where this is going) Then they “patched” it and it was rough and bumpy again!
I lost count of the number of times that I saw this phenomenon in Manhattan. An avenue would get its much-needed repaving, and w/in 1-2 weeks, Consolidated Edison would dig trenches for non-emergency repairs. It seemed that there was never any coordination between the utility company and the city gov’t.
This must be old but can’t tell. We had a main road, four lane, parking on both sides. Then they changed it to have a center turn lane and parking on one side. That means all the sewer covers are directly in line with the left wheels. Thump thump thump. Depends on which car I drive. Sometimes we play chicken in the center lane but I usually yield after making my point. Too much money, too much time on their hands coming up with improvements.
The county just approved a new round about in a town of about 200 people. To avoid crashes and for our safety. Stop and yield signs are too cheap. The county proudly announced that the feds are paying for it. I have experience trimming budgets and I would start with the round about funds. As JFK used to say, a journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step.
How do you propose i work on fixing this? I have contacted the local road commissioner, I have also complained to the Indiana Department of transportation.
Should I rent a grinder and start working on the roads myself?
Often I see roads being re-paved and nice and smooth. Then six months to a year later a patch is dug up for utility or other work. A little coordination between departments would help.
Won’t go into details but they re-did our road a few years ago. I told the city engineer that they needed to change the gutters so that the water flows from curb to curb instead of jutting in five feet. Also suggested concrete instead of the asphalt spillway. Deer in headlights. Now washed out and pot holes being patched and he got a promotion.
First, I remember limited access highways being surfaced of concrete. They were smooth and durable, but, a little on the noisy side, especially for those living within 3km of one.
By the 1980s the highways in CT were surfaced with asphalt. While quieter, and actually somewhat compliant to the impact of wheels and tires, asphalt is not as durable as concrete, and requires more frequent maintenance, and ultimately, replacement. So an economic advantage to using asphalt is job creation…!
I’m sure that, right now, research is being done into producing a surfacing material that combines durability, traction, and quietness. If not, then funding should be allocated in that direction.
A lot of damage to asphalt is done by heavy vehicles. Increase the road tax on them. Implement special day of the week or seasonal registrations for the heavy vehicles that are infrequently used. They should pay their fair share for the damage they cause.
Garbage trucks can be part of this problem on residential side streets.
One heavy truck does as much damage as 10,000 cars or some super high number.
I propose a metal section of road that is spring loaded and has a lot of preload. When the axle weight is too much it will sink down and make a lot of noise and be a sort of reverse speed bump that will let everyone know that the axle is over weight.
Many years ago we were having coffee at a neighbors. Her dad was in construction and we talked about applying asphalt over concrete which was just beginning here. We just kind of shook our heads because even I knew this was one of the first rules to never do. I suppose they have developed a system for it like grinding grooves or something, but man when that overlay starts to go revealing the concrete underneath, the pot holes are incredible.
I think the standard now is first concrete, then an overlay, and grind it off and maybe another, but eventually breaking the concrete up and repouring. More time, more expense, but better. That’s why there is always road construction underway.
But it sure creates jobs - if, again, one thinks the way a politician does. Particularly if there are construction companies in their district.
On i95 in CT 3-4 years ago, I felt the milling that had been done, prior to the latest pavement job 2-3 years ago. There were fresh grooves cut right down into the Elvis-era concrete. This is what two fresh layers of asphalt were applied over.
I do, however, feel that proper maintenance of that concrete would in the long run have proved more economical, and less wasteful of our tax dollars.
They have sections of I95 in MA that they are continuously testing asphalt formulations. It appears they are particularly interested in permeability. The tradeoff has been in durability. Some of these sections are quite amazing in the difference to conventional asphalt. Rain water and snow melt drain through the paved surface rather than sit or run off of it. The most noticeable advantage is the lack of water being sprayed up off the road by traffic. When you transition onto the more permeable section, the spray almost completely disappears. Then you get to the end of it and your windshield is once again totally obscured. Less runoff, less storm water to contend with and more local absorption into the soils around the roadways…
