Driving on Highway 30 in Ames...

[Chipper]

Feels like you're driving over a crowd of people. The fast lane is destroyed.

 

[Cyclone62]

From the melting?

 

[Cyclone90]

yup, frost heaves. Freeze, then thaw, repeat...

 

[Cyclone62]

yup, frost heaves. Freeze, then thaw, repeat...

For all I knew they were tearing up half of 30.

 

[CyCrazy]

Welcome to most of our roads in Ames! Winter has beat the crap outta em, I have been seeing crews filling asphalt into many of them recently

 

[Cyclone62]

117 is pretty bad too now.

 

[maui6651]

30 is worse between Tama and Cedar Rapids. There's one stretch that almost made me pull over and check my suspension for failure. I don't understand why we can't engineer a road that won't fall apart after an average winter.

 

[Cyclone90]

30 is worse between Tama and Cedar Rapids. There's one stretch that almost made me pull over and check my suspension for failure. I don't understand why we can't engineer a road that won't fall apart after an average winter.

I think two things happened. 1) This wasn't an average winter, plenty of precipitation and quite cold. 2) Our sub-soils are relatively moist so the frost layer may have been a tad deeper and more robust. We warmed up quickly which took out some frost resulting in sunken road beds.

Regarding engineering roads, I'm sure cost is a reason but you're probably on to something. I often drive on Beaver Dr. in Johnston and that road had the same issues the past two years. Others haven't deteriorated nearly as much. I doubt the soil conditions are that much different. It seems to happen to the entire road rather than sections. Somebody cut costs somewhere or didn't engineer them as well. At least I'm guessing. I'm no engineer.

 

[wonkadog]

Hwy. 69 north of Ames to Story City is horrific as well.

 

[GeronimusClone]

That's where the economic restart needs to begin, fixing roads and bridges.

 

[mj4cy]

that road brings bad memories....got hit by a drunk driver on that road near the duff exit.

 

[GeronimusClone]

that road brings bad memories....got hit by a drunk driver on that road near the duff exit.

 

[mj4cy]

wow, dont even know how to respond to that.....I personally dont think drunk driving and car crashes are funny or light hearted, but hey....thats just me.

 

[GeronimusClone]

wow, dont even know how to respond to that.....I personally dont think drunk driving and car crashes are funny or light hearted, but hey....thats just me.

You really didn't see that as a Debbie Downer? my bad.