Potholes Essay

1012 Words5 Pages
Problems With Our Roads Growing up and living in Pennsylvania, the idea of having perfect roads without tons of cracks, pot holes, and patches is something that does not exist. Every year, it is the same thing. There is road construction on almost every road. When the construction crew is done working and filling the potholes, it leaves lots of uneven patches that will more than likely have to be fixed again. Pennsylvania is notorious for having poor road conditions, but it is not the only state that has poor quality roads. This issue of potholes and poor road conditions is a serious problem because it can end up costing people a lot of money to repair their cars from the damage. It also will cost people more money in taxes because that is how the state funds these projects. All in all, the problem of potholes on the roads is an issue that really does need fixed. Every year, these potholes and cracks are created and recreated during the winter season. It is a result of water seeping beneath the pavement through cracks, and when the water freezes it forces the pavement to expand and rise. The cars will continue to drive on the raised road, and when the temperature warms up to above freezing the ice melts creating a shallow divot (MDOT). This process continues until eventually potholes are formed. They are also made worse by snow plows in the winter because the plows just scrape and dig at the road to get it cleared, not considering about the effects to the road. There is no denying the fact that roads in Pennsylvania are some of the worst roads out there. In one report done from Business Insider, Pennsylvania is listed as the number three worst state for roads behind California and Rhode Island. This report says that “10% of roads in bad condition.” It also states that “27% of bridges deemed “structurally deficient”. The last factor that went into giving
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