The winter has been colder and snowier than normal. A lot of moisture, the scraping of the plows, the corrosive action of the rock salt, and many freeze and thaw cycles add up to a lot of problems.
We've done a lot of pothole stories, and they always kick off what I call the "begats." One pothole story spawns others. It also kicks off an endless string of telephone calls in to the newsroom. Everyone thinks the road they live on or travel regularly is the worst. And, you know what? They're right.
COLTS changed two of its routes Monday due to crumbling roads in Scranton-- Van Buren Avenue and Boulevard Avenue. The latter is particularly frustrating. It's a mess every year. The problem is bad drainage from a hilly area and poor paving. If they'd fix the drainage issue and replace the road the right way, we wouldn't endure this madness every year. In Scranton, there's never enough time to do it right, but there's always enough time to do it over.
I appreciate the effort to patch all the roads. Unfortunately, the patch used during winter, before the asphalt plants open for the season, doesn't last beyond a couple of days. It's the best we can do, and if it spares some poor driver a blown tire or other auto issue, it's worth it.
We're not even at the end of February. March can be a cold and snowy month, and it looks like this March will be a lousy one. Get used to bad roads. Drive slowly and be extra careful.
