The roads and the beds on which they are placed go through a bit of chaos as they freeze, thaw unevenly, freeze again, and slowly reach the status of thawed for the season. In the meantime, large and small vehicles rolling at high speeds over them cause buckling, cracking, and general wear, then moisture seeps into cracks, and deterioration is the result.
One would think, (and I was one of those ones not so long ago) that without the freezing, roads here would fair better, other than occasional flash floods.
Well, the floods are definitely a factor, but I did not realize that another contributor to the lack of longevity to the local roads is heat, not freezing. After all, when the temperature goes up to 120 F and the roads are black, the likelihood of melt and reset becomes much more prevalent.
As for the roads in our immediate vicinity, they have gone through a familiar low budget repair process here. The high (by local standards) rains have caused phenomenal pitting and potholing, and after several weeks of driving over them, we were relieved to come home on filled hollows.
By low budget, I mean this:
A truck full of loose asphalt drives to the scene of repair, then however many crew members are spared for the process start shoveling it into the craters. Then, the more creative crews use their truck tires to pack it down. The less creative folks stamp on it.
If the locals are fortunate enough, the heat and other traffic will solidify the efforts, although I have also seen it have the reverse affect, and within 2 weeks, the gaping crater returns.
I have my fingers crossed.
Anyway, having shared my new found knowledge, I am inclined to call it a full day.
Adieu.
Ted Morrison commented on your note "Roads":
ReplyDelete"Heh. Trucking can endow one with a new height of appreciation for good road repair.
On the Trans-Canada there was a hill noteable for frost heaves. As I no longer recall the name let's call it "XXX pass." One day I was going along and hit the usual heave in the eastbound lane. I'd forgotten it was there, and the concussion of hitting it at sixty-odd mph threw my co-driver from the bunk.
Sitting up groggily on the floor he said:
"Already at XXX pass, eh?""
Ah, yes! Beloved XXX pass, I remember it well! It is interesting crossing either mid line, or the southern pass, the roads twist, wind, climb and dive.
ReplyDeleteI was amazed at the roads coming down to AZ. I was warned that some of the highway passes were steep and challenging.
I found some steepness, but the cornering was so mellow and casual that I found it hard to get worked up. (That is from the Sweetgrass / Lethbridge route. Can't speak for Washington state mind you.)