Rough roads ahead as city struggles with potholes

Rough roads ahead as city struggles with potholes

Zach White

Between last week's brief thaw and today's lowest temperature of the season, the roads of Havre are taking quite a beating — and show it.

Among these troubled roads, 11th Street from the Montana State University-Northern campus to Highland Park is, according to those who use it, the worst.

Andy Goebel, a university employee, likened the potholes that were exposed last week to craters.

"It's like driving on the moon," Goebel said.

Havre has stronger gravity than the moon, though, and those potholes, as Goebel's boss Northern Physical Plant Director Dan Ulman recognizes, can wreak havoc on people's cars, especially students with older ones.

Ulman added that he is aware that the city is working on the problem.

"I do know they have a road project in the plan," Ulman said. "They'll do something when they can. And I'm very comfortable with what they have planned for that. It just takes a lot of time and money."

Dave Peterson, Havre director of public works, said that the project is currently expected to redo several roads in that area in the summer of 2012.

"Unfortunately there isn't much we can do with that plan now," Peterson said. "It is currently in the design phase. They've got some storm sewer issues they need to solve."

When the plan is ready, it will bring new roads and some new sidewalks to 11th Street, from Northern to 16th Avenue West, then continue north along 16th Avenue to 2nd Street.

Until then though, the city has a few plans to hold the current hole-riddled road together.

"Budget-wise, we'll do what we can," Peterson said. "If it gets real bad we'll have to look at some other options. Most of it kind of depends on Mother Nature and what she's going to do. I hate to see the cold weather, but it's when it gets warm when it falls apart."

Peterson said that the city could put frozen gravel in the holes, but that would just wash away when the next melt happens.

The city will also look at possibly working with local contractors to fill in the holes with asphalt and repairing the cracks in the road sometime before this summer.

Until then, Peterson said, drivers should be safe out there.

"Basically, you just got to take it slow and be careful around those things," Peterson said. "Watch for oncoming traffic and try and avoid the potholes that are up there, which is kind of tough since they're all over the place."

"If you can find another route, maybe take that."

Between last week's brief thaw and today's lowest temperature of the season, the roads of Havre are taking quite a beating — and show it.

Among these troubled roads, 11th Street from the Montana State University-Northern campus to Highland Park is, according to those who use it, the worst.

Andy Goebel, a university employee, likened the potholes that were exposed last week to craters.

"It's like driving on the moon," Goebel said.

Havre has stronger gravity than the moon, though, and those potholes, as Goebel's boss Northern Physical Plant Director Dan Ulman recognizes, can wreak havoc on people's cars, especially students with older ones.

Ulman added that he is aware that the city is working on the problem.

"I do know they have a road project in the plan," Ulman said. "They'll do something when they can. And I'm very comfortable with what they have planned for that. It just takes a lot of time and money."

Dave Peterson, Havre director of public works, said that the project is currently expected to redo several roads in that area in the summer of 2012.

"Unfortunately there isn't much we can do with that plan now," Peterson said. "It is currently in the design phase. They've got some storm sewer issues they need to solve."

When the plan is ready, it will bring new roads and some new sidewalks to 11th Street, from Northern to 16th Avenue West, then continue north along 16th Avenue to 2nd Street.

Until then though, the city has a few plans to hold the current hole-riddled road together.

"Budget-wise, we'll do what we can," Peterson said. "If it gets real bad we'll have to look at some other options. Most of it kind of depends on Mother Nature and what she's going to do. I hate to see the cold weather, but it's when it gets warm when it falls apart."

Peterson said that the city could put frozen gravel in the holes, but that would just wash away when the next melt happens.

The city will also look at possibly working with local contractors to fill in the holes with asphalt and repairing the cracks in the road sometime before this summer.

Until then, Peterson said, drivers should be safe out there.

"Basically, you just got to take it slow and be careful around those things," Peterson said. "Watch for oncoming traffic and try and avoid the potholes that are up there, which is kind of tough since they're all over the place."

"If you can find another route, maybe take that."