Encounter with tbe Michigan Highway Patrol
Rolling north on I-94 northbound out of Indiana bound for Plainwell MI, heavy rain but light traffic. Potholes (as in large enough to swallow a VW), especially along the right lane where I travel at ...
Forum Discussion
Yes, MSP are usually professional and courteous.
But, Michigan has two road strikes against it at the start. And, a third is hiding in the woodpile.
The two up front are an absolutely brutal temperature range and the heavy weight of allowed trucks.
This winter we did have temperatures in the -10°F region in the southern part of the state. When (if) summer ever gets here, we can expect 100°+ days. Maybe not many, but they make the concrete of the older road buckle at the joints. This can even happen when the concrete has been covered with McAdam.
If you have never seen a Michigan gravel or steel hauler, you are in for a treat. 42 tires on the ground. A max load of 175K#, and they (particularly the steel haulers that get paid by the pound) try to beat it. That is exactly why the Detroit area roads are so bad.
The one most people don't see is that Michigan was until recently a strong labor state. This mean that any road work is real expensive. And if it can happen (i.e. around the new DTW terminals), the work done is all of inferior quality and even the concrete pavement that was undercover was breaking up where there is no heavy traffic.
I dodge pot holes too.
Matt
But, Michigan has two road strikes against it at the start. And, a third is hiding in the woodpile.
The two up front are an absolutely brutal temperature range and the heavy weight of allowed trucks.
This winter we did have temperatures in the -10°F region in the southern part of the state. When (if) summer ever gets here, we can expect 100°+ days. Maybe not many, but they make the concrete of the older road buckle at the joints. This can even happen when the concrete has been covered with McAdam.
If you have never seen a Michigan gravel or steel hauler, you are in for a treat. 42 tires on the ground. A max load of 175K#, and they (particularly the steel haulers that get paid by the pound) try to beat it. That is exactly why the Detroit area roads are so bad.
The one most people don't see is that Michigan was until recently a strong labor state. This mean that any road work is real expensive. And if it can happen (i.e. around the new DTW terminals), the work done is all of inferior quality and even the concrete pavement that was undercover was breaking up where there is no heavy traffic.
I dodge pot holes too.
Matt
