Michigan is known nationwide for its bad roads, no matter where you’re located. This is especially true in our area, with most of our roads cracking, falling apart, and acquiring massive potholes. This is caused by a factor of variables, including weather, vehicle usage, and maintenance. With the weather being the main cause right now in January, the ground is constantly freezing and unfreezing, depending on the weather. This weather change causes the road to expand and shift, along with moisture seeping into the road seams, creating potholes. Pressure from cars can also cause damage, by denting the surface, due to the weight of the vehicle. This is why roads that have heavy semi truck traffic tend to be very bad, with very big surface imperfections forming.
Maintenance also plays a big role in road life. If not maintained, drainage ditches can get clogged, allowing for inadequate water flow on roads. This will further accelerate pothole formation, along with erosion, which will just destroy the road. Another big factor is how they treat the roads in the winter, with salt usage and plowing. In most cases, salt is used rather than plowing, which corrodes the road, along with its inner structure. Not doing anything with the snow is another way roads are neglected, with even the smallest cracks filling up with snow, again, causing potholes to form. All of these not-so-hard things to prevent are another reason why our roads are so bad, with this lack of maintenance being the biggest factor, along with public input. For example, when calling Wayne County road maintenance, I could not be taken seriously, and I was treated very rudely, for simply asking a question.
To fix our road problem, it would take some not-so-hard points that would dramatically improve road quality. Better maintenance, plowing, filling holes, and infrastructure would be a large thing, allowing for better quality going into our roads, increasing their lifetime. Traffic control can also help this, allowing for big vehicles (over a certain weight) to only be allowed over certain roads, helping create less pressure, and also helping increase the quality, and lifespan of our roads.
Kelly Doty • Jan 24, 2025 at 8:17 pm
Awesome job Parker!