Appreciate the roads

Going to work the other day, I had to stop for road work a couple miles outside of Hanna and then, again, in between Walcott Junction and Saratoga. I was a little annoyed because I wanted to get to work and these delays lasted about 10 minutes a piece.

Road work is one of those summer events that happen all over the state. Interstate 80 usually has several different areas being worked on between Laramie and Rawlins I seem to hit every year. I have learned, in the summer time, it is better for to take U.S. 30 heading east versus the interstate.

For two days I faced the road delay and then, on the third day, WYDOT’s work was done.

Cool.

The road was smooth as glass for the couple miles that had been worked on and when I came back to the usual road, it hit me that this part of U.S. 30 wasn’t in bad shape. At least compared to other roads I have been on.

Roads Around Washington D.C. and Baltimore

About five years ago I was working for a wine company that had me in charge of the mid-Atlantic area. My concentration was the D.C. and Baltimore suburbs. I had learned to drive in the area growing up and what I remembered was the heavy traffic.

Well, the traffic was way worse than I remembered. It was gridlock from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. on most major roads, but what I could not believe were all the potholes on the major highways, much less the minor roads. I remember driving to my gym from where I was staying, which was about five miles away, and these monster potholes seemed to want to take out any front wheel alignment that got near.

It was treacherous.

Really.

As bad as the roads were in Maryland and D.C., the roads in Virginia suburbs were atrocious. I couldn’t believe the potholes that were everywhere. My poor little Honda, that took out more than its fair share of animals here in Wyoming and survived pretty well, was shaken to its core hitting these holes from hell. I had to get my car aligned twice in five months.

These roads made me miss Wyoming roads.

Roads In New England

If I thought the roads in the mid-Atlantic were bad, the roads in New England were way worse. The Massachusetts Turnpike is terrible but, more insulting, is you have to pay to drive on this awful byway. Paying to drive on a road that was likely to damage your car is just crazy. Vermont was even worse. Frost heaves, that rise like baby mountains and then dip, can take out a car’s front end as it shoots up in the air and comes down hard. Potholes and frost heaves are a consideration driving there, the way avoiding hitting animals at dusk is for the Carbon County driver. You just have to be careful and ready to slow down immediately.

The Worst Roads I’ve

Been On

I have visited a lot of places in Europe, Asia and Australia and driven in quite a few or a least been in a taxi. Most of the roads I have been on were of decent quality, just maybe too much traffic. Roads going to rural areas in Thailand or Indonesia are surprisingly good.

I can’t think of a country overseas that I have visited that has worse roads than the Pennsylvania Turnpike, the Ohio Turnpike and the highways going into Chicago. Again, insult to injury that both turnpikes charge serious cash to use them and the roads are almost third world.

Potholes and major cracks abound in the western sector of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. It runs over $20 to go from Pittsburg in the middle of the state to the Ohio line.

It is depressing how bad the roads are in this region and hard to understand. The tolls are bringing in money but, driving the roads, it feels like little money is spent on upkeep.

The absolute worst road I have driven is coming into Chicago from Indiana. It is just sad. I bet many cars have early deaths driving that highway just because the road is in such bad condition.

You Have To Love WYDOT

I am sure there are worse highways in the world than Chicago’s; I just haven’t driven on them.

I am also sure there are some highways in Wyoming that are in serious need of repair but, from my personal experience, our highways are top notch. WYDOT District 1 does an excellent job of keeping the Carbon County highways in good shape; at least the ones I drive. What I find impressive, is how much road repair WYDOT gets done when the weather allows. I can’t say that is true in many other states I have traveled.

To me, comparing Carbon County roads to the roads back east is like comparing our air to that of the air of Los Angeles or Houston.

The difference in quality should not be taken for granted.

I know I don’t.