How are the roads in your town?

Exciting. It really keeps me on my toes as I have to slalom around the Potholes of Automotive Death.

But seriously, many of the roads in my area (Chester) are in terrible repair. There are large potholes, the edges are crumbling away, and there are large cracks. One does expect frost heaves and other troubles this time of year, but we need to commit to a serious re-paving and repair effort.

I live in Winooski and travel across the winooski bridge to my workplace in Burlington daily. For as long as I have lived in Winooski, the bridge has been a sort of no man's land. It seems always, to be littered with enormous potholes. It appears as though neither Burlington nor Winooski maintain it (and for all I know maybe the state should?). It is especially hazardous to cross on a bicycle; hitting these potholes could send a cyclist flying.

So far, our dirt roads in Westminster West are still relatively solid (i.e. still frozen, although down to bare dirt finally in most places!). But given the size of the snowbanks, we're in for chocolate pudding real soon!

(the paved roads? - bumpity-bumpity..)

Brattleboro had a tough winter season. Potholes are numerous. And large. Imagine the road work and basic infrastructure repair that could be done with the money wasted in the middle east. It simply amazes me how foolish our legislators are.

Some of the roads here in Chelsea are worse than I have ever seen them. The hill I live on is horrible! The macadam part has big pot holes, dips, and cracks. The main road, Rt. 110, looks like an earthquake has struck, and the E. Randolph Rd. is disastrous for cars. Money will have to be spent on our roads this summer.

I live in Northfield and the roads, particularly in the Falls, are horrendous. There are pot holes that could swallow a dog. The roads are literally crumbling before our eyes. The only stretch of road that I’ve driven on lately that is worse is the section of Rte 2 between Montpelier and 302.

US 2, between E. Montpelier and Plainfield is in good shape except for a narrow crumbling bridge over the Winooski near the Carpet Barn. I have had to pull very close to, haven't hit it yet, the crumbling guard rail when an 18 wheeler moving at 50+ is coming the other way and has his left duals on my side of the double line that is almost invisible. The state says that it is structurally sound but its appearance implies a deterioration in its hidden structures that is most concerning. And even if the structure is up to the task of bearing the very heavy traffic, both in volume and weight, of the busy US2 between I-89 and St. J and I-91, its narrowness is a head on collision waiting to happen. Its narrowness is like a Troll waiting to catch the unwary driver who dares to use his bridge.

Though this is a very thoughtful inquiry that inspires civic engagement and empowerment I think the question we need to be asking is 'how are we going to fund all the needed road improvements in our state?' Walking, biking, and driving in the Chittenden County of Vermont has exposed some of the worst road conditions I have ever encountered. While it is my ideal that we have a cycling/walking society that could rely on light rail for any trips of distance we can not ignore the facts as they are. You cannot solve the problem of pollution while ignoring the issues of congestion...we want to rely on multimodal transportation systems not on putting all of money and energies on individual automobile advancements. And while money is poured into research for alternative fuels and carbon neutral vehicles, this does not leverage funding or interest in our roads. Some folks are studying the likelihood of recycling roads, or using different asphalt formulations that could at least lessen the environmental impact of our constant upkeep. Yet, our clean city coalitions and environmental research centers need to be paying attention to the entire spectrum of interrelated transportation issues.
State highways and other roads are integral to the states needs as they carry our economy on a daily basis and will also not see a decrease in congestion with transportation studies focusing on revolutionizing automobiles rather than behavioral change (ie. how can we minimize car trips etc?)

Parts of the Ridge Road in Randolph Center are disintegrating across the width of the roadway.

VT Route 12 into downtown Randolph (from the intersection of Rte 12 and Rte 66) is beset with potholes.

VT Route 12A from Braintree through Roxbury is nothing but frost heaves. There's not a flat piece of pavement for the entire length.

I suspect that this year's mud season will assume biblical proportions.

Our town roads aren't as bad as I thought they'd be, given all the winter we've had. Maybe it helped that the town ran out of salt and had to leave some roads covered, helping to protect them. Should do more of that anyway-- they overdo the plowing and salting. I visit my daughter in another town, weaving my way along-- there is a LOT of crumbling pavement and potholes. Folks seem to know when to dodge, so leave room when they see others about to dodge. The roads in best shape are the gravel roads, even now in mud season. Too many roads are paved. A good, well-prepared gravel surface is better.

I live in Burlington and commute to Waterbury daily for work.

My only other reference for comparison (i.e. the only other place I've lived) are the roads in Minnesota - another very cold state. I would classify the roads in both Burlington, Waterbury, and the stretch of I-89 in between as pathetic.

BURLINGTON: Almost all roads are crumbling apart. I don't find any stretches to be particularly tolerable. Areas like S. Willard from Pearl to CR-7, Pine St., The entirety of Pearl St., East Ave. come to mind as some of the worst.

WATERBURY: There's not much to this place but Main Street and maybe Stowe St. Both in very very poor condition. Stowe St. from the Rail Road tracks through to 100. And Main St. south of Park Row.

I-89: The stretch I drive regularly (from Burlington to Waterbury) is fair. PLEASE FIX the northbound lane up the curving hill just north of Richmond all the way to the large rest stop. The right lane has sunken tire tracks that jostle your car dangerously back and forth - and the left lane has a VERY DANGEROUS dip in the road all the way out past the shoulder. Also, the strip (north and south bound lanes) between Burlington and Winooski is very poor.

Basically, I can't drive anywhere without this issue being constantly on my mind - so THANK YOU for bringing it up. Glad to hear I'm not alone.

After replacing two tie rods and four ball joints I'd say our local roads are aggressive. Wolcott Road [VT 14 in Hardwick] gives new meaning to erratic driving. Several autos have been towed in with bent wheel rims and ruined tires. For five miles north of Hardwick on VT 14 the beautiful scenic drive is replaced with a game of chance whose odds are in favor of the roadway. Were I a tourist or bicyclist I'd go right home if I were foolish enough to try the highway in the first place. The bridge into Craftsbury has three lorge holes in the concrete -- all the way to rebar. Is rust a problem in Vermont?

Thre roads in our town are acceptible. The VT state roads are in deplorable shape and the Governor should put them at or near the top of his list for goals. They need to be engineered so as not to deteriorate with frost heaves and yearly plowing. It will be a multiyear task.
Regards,
RN

Oh my goodness... Burlington is seeing a bumper crop of large, healthy potholes! Perhaps the worst of the species are the amphibious potholes which lurk in the numerous puddles around town- murder on a car's rims. I live just off North Avenue and while I like a good challenge, I'm tired of white-knuckling it just driving down the road. I know money is tight, but something really has to be done.

Roads have potholes for two reasons - first vehicles traveling on the roads break up the surface, then the town or State does not repair the damage. A 'rule of thumb' states that road damage increases as the 4th power of the axle weight. (You can get the evidence by entering "road damage axle weight' in Google). So, if you double the weight of a vehicle, it does about 16 times as much damage.

If you don't like potholes, you can do three things about it:
(1) make fewer trips and combine journeys,
(2) get a lighter vehicle,
(3) complain to the authorities or to VPR.

(1) and (2) are guaranteed to help, and have secondary advantages!

I live in the Jay/Troy area. Rt. 100 in our area isn't too bad, as well as Rt. 101. Rt. 242 is a different story. I regularly travel in both directions and the Montgomery side is particularly horrible; especially going into Montgomery. The Jay side is slightly better, but has it's share of bad areas. It seems the ownership of the resort would have some influence on the State to have the ONLY route to the resort in better condition. I realize mountain passes are subject to the pressures of winter. Otherwise dirt roads are pretty rough, but passable. Can't wait for mud season!

I moved to Vermont a year ago in December from Montana, where I thought the roads were bad. But Vermont has the worst kept roads I have ever experienced. For new drivers to the area, we found River Street in Montpelier frightening to drive on because it's lines are in desperate need of a fresh coat of paint. Our first weeks here we were driving down the middle of two lanes unaware that it was a two-lane section of road. Not long ago, I wasn't quite sure of a turn lane, because lines designating it were barely visible.

And potholes plague every other street in the towns of Barre & Montpelier. The cobblestones are showing in one of Barre's major intersections. If we're wanting to unearth relics of America's past, there must be a better way of excavation.

And Montpelier, the States Capitol, is not only plagued with massive pot holes & frost heaves, but the snow removal this winter was awful. Barre Street was challenging and at times scary to navigate. I've only recently seen large trucks removing snow from town when that is precisely what was needed a month ago.

I live in Johnson and the center of town on Rt 15 is like a mine zone. There are multiple large holes and sections of pavement totally missing. The road out of town which I live on; 100C is even worse.

Traveling to NH twice a week and using the only east-west corridor in the northeast (which is Rt 2) between Montpielier and Lancaster NH, let me just say it is appauling!While driving on this ribbon of rubble I was shocked to hear (on VPR)that the legislature is forming a committee to try and charge and licence people who want to run adds in the paper to sell puppies? Well let me say, is this what our local government has resorted to while infrastructure and the economy is failing miserably? The legislature ought to stop thinking up and trying to find ways to raise frivolous funds for misguided ideas and get to the buisness of what a government was and is meant to do! That is take care of what gas and road taxes are earmarked for! I dare any committee member, state senator and even the governor to do the speed limit through the stretch of Rt2 that passes by the resevoir outside of Montpielier heading towards St Johnsbury! I've a mind to have my suspension repaired along with the ball joints on my vehicle and send the bill to the state! For deraliction of duty!
Best wishes
4 Flats and a dented oil pan

Rt. 100 through the Mad River Valley seems to be deteriorating rapidly with stopgap patching being the current VTran remedy. Apparently the repaving of this primary corridor has been put off from 2008 to 2010. I can't imagine what the highway will be like by 2010 but it won't be better !!!