Friday, September 18, 2015

Fresh pavement fail shows potholes in WI road priorities

You must live on the International Space Station if you didn't know that Wisconsin roads are sporting potholes which appear to be created by land mines.

Yet while the state keeps building politically-enabled and pricey new lanes and wider ramps - - have you recently driven through the perpetual $1.9 billion 'improvement' to I-94 from Milwaukee to the Illinois border, or the $1.7 billion Zoo Interchange battle zone? - -  the condition of Wisconsin's roads are now rated third-worst in the nation, data show.

So how telling was it yesterday that busy State Highway 45 north of its connection to the Zoo morass was closed for hours because huge potholes had opened up on the pavement:
The holes grew to nearly five feet by five feet -- a major traffic concern for motorists.
How would you like to run through at highway speed a pothole big enough to hold a couple of refrigerators?

And that's the second time in recent weeks a major Southeastern Wisconsin 'freeway' was closed for emergency repairs because of dangerously large potholes. 

What are we in for when the first late fall freeze-thaw cycle turns more of our roads into gravel?

I recommend reading Steve Walters" continuing reporting on the Wisconsin highway policy and spending debacle.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Wisconsin roads are a mess. We recently drove I-90 to Madison for a Badger game. I thought my truck was going to get shaken to death. Is there any part of Wisconsin that this governor and his Republican legislators haven't ruined? Economy, education and the environment are the first that come to mind but roads and women's health run a close second.