Potholes That Ate Indianapolis Devour U.S. City Budgets

[Purveyor]

By Mark Niquette Feb 24, 2014 4:00 AM ET

Rieth-Riley Construction Co. typically closes its Indianapolis asphalt plants from December through March. Not this year. Too many potholes to fill.

Officials asked Rieth-Riley to fire up a plant six weeks early to help fill what the city said is a record number of craters, a moonscape replicated across the nation amid a brutal winter. U.S. cities including New York and Pittsburgh and states such as Michigan are contending with an unprecedented road-repair season, straining work crews and budgets already depleted by plowing and salting.

Besides starting the asphalt plant early, Indianapolis, which has already exceeded its winter maintenance budget by almost $5 million, is hiring contractors and diverting workers as it combats the motorist’s scourge of blown-out tires and twisted suspensions.

“We’re throwing everything we can at it,” said Lori Miser, director of the Indianapolis Department of Public Works. “We’re seeing our roads in the worst condition probably than we ever have.”

About three-fourths of U.S. states and many cities have outspent their maintenance budgets dealing with the extreme weather, said Greta Smith, an associate program director with the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials in Washington. She said this pothole season is “one of the worst in memory.”

more...

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-24/potholes-that-ate-indianapolis-devour-municipal-budgets-in-u-s-.html

[onehandle]

1. Tens of thousands of potholes in the Philly area appeared in the last few weeks.

Never seen anything like this. It's like the roads are water-soluble.

[spanone]

2. indiana in general has some of the worse roads i've traveled

i lived in indy for many years. now when i travel there, as soon as i cross the kentucky/indiana line the highway turns to shit.