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Better solution for potholes

I’m so tired of hearing everyone whine and complain about the pothole dilemma in our city. For those who don’t understand why the roads throughout Spokane are so bad, the problem lies with the extreme weather conditions. As engineers know, water seeps through cracks in the pavement. When it freezes, the ice expands, causing the pavement to rise. When the ice thaws, it leaves a void that collapses when a heavy vehicle passes over it resulting in a pothole.

I think the solution would be to build the roads similar to the way they do in Europe, which is concrete over a base of crushed limestone. I realize these superior materials are much more expensive and the cost would be passed to the taxpayers, but wouldn’t it make more sense to repair the roads once (with occasional maintenance) rather than every one to two years? The cost would actually be less in the long run.

Carla Amparan

Spokane

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