Ask the Architect

You think potholes just happen?

Posted

Q. My street is a mess, with potholes and patches everywhere. It’s been like this for years, and we’re all sick and tired of it. Why can’t it be fixed, permanently? It was done about 15 years ago and is worse than ever. Isn’t there a way to make a better road that doesn’t fall apart?

A. Potholes are carefully planned. They don’t appear randomly, and certainly aren’t there by accident. Unfortunately, you fail to see all the benefits of potholes the way the road builders do. First, it takes engineers a long time to properly plan the spacing and precise way that a pothole will form, and where water needs to collect to make the perfect pothole appear. Think of it like planning a year-round garden that always has something in bloom. A sprout here, a full-blooming pothole there, just like a garden bursting with color.

Then the road crews have to properly prepare the base below the finished top layer. Believe it or not, the base determines how the surface will react. A good thin, soft base with plenty of soft spots made possible by the same-day road fix does wonders to create the perfectly pocked road. And the money we taxpayers save by speeding up the process because we have to get to work to pay for the moon-cratered roads is an important consideration, also.

By taking less time, using less material, not coating the road with a surface-renewing sealant that would actually cost less in the long run, we create jobs, get the budget spent and perpetuate roadways’ planned demise. Water seeping into small cracks freezes and expands, forcing the material outward and upward. The obstacle course potholes create is an excellent training ground for unsure drivers, sharpening their skills as they slalom from one side of the road to the other. Student drivers benefit, too. Besides the slalom technique they learn, they come to fully understand the feel of the impact and damage that can be done to someone else’s borrowed vehicle. It’s like putting a rental car through its paces on vacation.

Best of all, though, potholes slow traffic, making driving safer as cars slow down to way below the speed limit, and making it possible for nighttime drivers to be scrutinized by watchful eyes checking to see if they’re drunk or swerving back and forth on purpose, trying to make it home without cracking a tooth. Doctors may even recommend a drive on certain roads for their patients who are overdue with a bundle of joy, pointing to street maps to plan a better rout to hasten the happy event.

So, the next time you want to complain to the Department of Streets and Highways or the Department of Public Works, or even call the mayor, a council member or legislator, remember, they’re working hard to enhance your driving experience. Drive safely!

© 2017 Monte Leeper. Readers are encouraged to send questions to yourhousedr@aol.com, with “Herald question” in the subject line, or to Herald Homes, 2 Endo Blvd., Garden City, NY 11530, Attn: Monte Leeper, architect.