ITD Vault: 30 Years Ago
May 1985

Idaho has the fewest potholes in the U.S.

A recent survey of the Road Information Program (TRIP), a Washington, D.C.-based transportation research group, indicates that Idaho has the lowest number of potholes on its 5,000-mile state highway system than any other state.

The top five states in this year’s pothole derby are Ohio, 6.8 million; Pennsylvania, 3.9 million; South Carolina, 3 million; North Dakota, 2.7 million; and Florida, 2.2 million. Idaho reports 23,023 potholes.

One ton of asphaltic mix would fill an average of 18 potholes, using approximately 10 pounds per crater. In Idaho, it would take 1,265 tons of asphaltic mix to fill all of its potholes, at a total cost of about $126,000 including labor, equipment and materials.

Potholes are caused by water creeping into cracks in aging roads during the winter, freezing and expanding. As the ice melts in the spring and traffic keeps pounding this expanded pavement, the pavement surface thaws and breaks up, creating potholes, ruts and other disintegration.

Commenting on Idaho’s low number of potholes, Division of Highways Administrator Keith Green said, “The Transportation Department is a firm believer in a preventative maintenance program. A critical feature of that program involves seal coating highway surfaces with a layer of asphalt and stone cover on an average seven-year cycle. Also, with 74 maintenance stations located strategically throughout Idaho and approximately 400 Transportation Technicians patrolling and maintaining their assigned sections of highway on a daily basis, potholes are kept to a minimum in Idaho.”

Unfortunately, Green said, the highway resurfacing and rehabilitation program to extend Idaho’s $5 billion highway investment continues to be in serious jeopardy due to lack of sufficient funding.

Current annual reconstruction-resurfacing needs on the state highway system totals almost $75 million. The Transportation Department has only $45 million available for this vital program, leaving a shortfall of $30 million, which explains why Idaho highways continue to deteriorate faster than they can be repaired.

Editor’s 2015 Note: Idaho may no longer be lowest in the nation, but it's hard to say where we rank now. TRIP no longer tracks this statistic. We have 636 employees in the Transportation Technician classification patrolling the roads. There are still about 5,000 miles on the state highway system, but overall lane miles to check for potholes has grown from about 11,400 in 1985 to 12,230 today. It's a safe bet $126,000 wouldn't fill all of our potholes, either. One thing remains the same 30 years later — because of financial limitations, ITD is still unable to keep pace with all the resurfacing work that needs to be done. And one big question still looms — who is the lucky guy who got to count potholes 30 years ago?

 


Published 05-08-15