Potholes, Frost Heaves and Craters (Portland, Augusta: home, school, maintenance)

[Northern Maine Land Man]

Some potholes defy description like the one that opened up again today on I-95 in Augusta. They patched it earlier this week, but it collapsed again today. The Portland paper reported:
"Multiple vehicles were involved in an accident when a gigantic pothole opened in a southbound lane of Interstate 95 this afternoon. No one was seriously hurt.

-snip- Police said one person was taken to hospital with minor injuries, but at least five vehicles were damaged including a sport utility vehicle that overturned. Two other vehicles collided.

The pothole, which opened up under the Old Winthrop Road overpass sometime around 2:30 p.m., was about 15 feet long, 2 feet wide and 8 inches deep, according to police."

They patched it again.

There is a frost heave that occurs every spring on Route 6 near East Musquash Lake. Actually it's two frost heaves close together. Just as your suspension bottoms out from the first one, the second one launches you into suborbital flight. A school bus lost its rear axle on it a few years ago. There the bus sat on its rear bumper. The kids cheered the bus driver.

Last year above Augusts a state road simply collapsed into the river. You can't just remove dams without consequences. I rated that one as a crater.

Spring and high water bring unanticipated results in Maine.

[tcrackly]

Yes, I was awed by my local municipal maintenance people, in their infinite wisdom, who were filling some of the secondary road potholes with gravel. that use of my tax dollar will only go as far as the first pickup truck to empty out the pothole...puddle, gravel and all.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

The trick is to get just the right moisture content, let it freeze solid and it's just as good as concrete until the thaw.

[Submariner]

They have began filling potholes here with sand.

[mollysmiles]

I'll tell you what.... Winn is a "no win". We'll be taking the other way back home on Sunday. Holy cow... stay away from 157 and 168...

[msina]

Originally Posted by mollysmiles

I'll tell you what.... Winn is a "no win". We'll be taking the other way back home on Sunday. Holy cow... stay away from 157 and 168...

I found the same issue there. "Craterville". Part of rte. 2 going into Lincoln from Winn is very bad as well.

[cebdark]

This time of year, I find it's better that they fill the frost heaves with sand or gravel instead of cold patch because a frost heave filled with cold patch can become a speed bump within a day or two (as the frost moves out of the ground).

[namder1]

Driving thru the town of Dexter is like driving thru a mine field!!!!

[roadrat]

As some of you may know I work for the DOT and yes we have started to use sand and or gravel to fill some pot holes and sunken areas were cross pipes are. And yes there are good reasons for this some of the sunken areas could come up again very quickly and because cold patch is made with oil it is becoming very expensive.
We are doing the best we can but Maines roads are in really bad shape and there is just not enough $$$ to fix them all.


bill

[cebdark]

Originally Posted by roadrat

As some of you may know I work for the DOT and yes we have started to use sand and or gravel to fill some pot holes and sunken areas were cross pipes are. And yes there are good reasons for this some of the sunken areas could come up again very quickly and because cold patch is made with oil it is becoming very expensive.
We are doing the best we can but Maines roads are in really bad shape and there is just not enough $$$ to fix them all.


bill

Ahhh...the freeze/thaw cycle of Spring in Maine. Gah!