State roads in need of a fix
Updated: March 19, 2013
SPRINGFIELD -- The grades are out when it comes to road conditions. A new study from the American Society for Civil Engineers finds they don't make the cut. WCIA-3's Ashely Michels has more.
Illinois didn't fail, but it came close. Our roads get a "D." That means it costs you more to drive on these roads than somewhere else. Nobody knows this pavement better than these guys.
"We're out on the road all the time."
Dick Van Dyke Appliance World has 40-trucks making 4,000 calls a month for a grand total of a million miles a year. But, these roads are making their jobs tougher.
"Several years ago I noticed I started having to replace tires more often."
That's because almost three-quarters of Illinois' roads are considered to be in poor shape. In rural Central Illinois, these trucks see some of the worst.
"A driver might hit a pothole that's a foot deep, but he didn't see it because it's filled with water."
All that costs this company big bucks.
"We rack up about $10,000 - $14,000 a year just because of additional expenses from potholes on the roads."
They're not alone. A new study finds road conditions are costing Illinois drivers, on average, about $300 extra a year.
"I travel around in a lot of states and they have roads that are a bit smoother on your vehicle or maintained a little better than ours."
That's why cars on these roads have to visit the shop more often, and the costs don't stop there. Illinois also has one of the highest motor fuel taxes in the country. It's something that's supposed to help pay for road improvements.
The report also looked at U.S. roads as a whole. The country gets a "D+," so most of the states are in the same boat as Illinois.
Illinois didn't fail, but it came close. Our roads get a "D." That means it costs you more to drive on these roads than somewhere else. Nobody knows this pavement better than these guys.
"We're out on the road all the time."
Dick Van Dyke Appliance World has 40-trucks making 4,000 calls a month for a grand total of a million miles a year. But, these roads are making their jobs tougher.
"Several years ago I noticed I started having to replace tires more often."
That's because almost three-quarters of Illinois' roads are considered to be in poor shape. In rural Central Illinois, these trucks see some of the worst.
"A driver might hit a pothole that's a foot deep, but he didn't see it because it's filled with water."
All that costs this company big bucks.
"We rack up about $10,000 - $14,000 a year just because of additional expenses from potholes on the roads."
They're not alone. A new study finds road conditions are costing Illinois drivers, on average, about $300 extra a year.
"I travel around in a lot of states and they have roads that are a bit smoother on your vehicle or maintained a little better than ours."
That's why cars on these roads have to visit the shop more often, and the costs don't stop there. Illinois also has one of the highest motor fuel taxes in the country. It's something that's supposed to help pay for road improvements.
The report also looked at U.S. roads as a whole. The country gets a "D+," so most of the states are in the same boat as Illinois.
