Wednesday, March 26, 2014

No Country For Fixing Old Potholes, Wisconsin

The Government/Road-builder Complex poured extra millions of your tax dollars into more new lanes - - projects that will, after a freeze-thaw cycle or two acquire their own axle-breaking-tire-popping cracks, splits and degradation - - because there are bigger profits to pocket and ribbons to cut in adding new lanes than in fixing the streets we already have:
The state Department of Transportation has 34 projects underway or to begin soon in Milwaukee County, including multiple projects affiliated with Zoo Interchange construction. An additional 28 projects are underway in six surrounding counties... 
In southeastern Wisconsin, 96 projects are started a year at a cost of $410 million on average. In 2014, the number of projects started will be 65, but some of these will be larger than usual, making the price tag $443 million.

3 comments:

zombie rotten mcdonald said...

also, the new pavement is much more likely to be built to lesser standards, and with less oversight, so it will be failing quicker and more completely than existing pavements.

An administration based on grift is so ugly.

Anonymous said...

The road builders use fly ash in the concrete which takes away from it's ability to withstand temperature swings. This is why we have our 'new' roads breaking up in 2 or 3 years insted of 2 or 3 decades. But the road builders are some of the biggest supporters of republics come campaign time!!

enoughalready said...

I saw a news story not too long ago about a company, in New Hampshire I believe, that makes and sells infared equipment that can fill potholes permanently -- and in far less time than required by the usual fill-in, asphalt method. The owner said they do good business overseas, in Europe and in China, but for some reason they have not yet generated much interest here in the states. Go figure.