[mvpsharky]

I just spent a week in Vermont and I gotta say, it was such a pleasure to drive around. Your roads (and the scenery) are fantastic .. seems like every road or highway was brand new. How do you do it?????? I'm sure there are roads here and there that need repair, but I didn't see one. The roads in RI are awful .. they blame the "weather" for all the potholes and cracks, but VT gets more snow and ice than RI, so I'm not buying it lol.
I can't wait to go back.

[cgregor]

We cuss at the road crews leaning on their shovel in the summer, then worship them like gods in the winter. We're a fickle bunch. They do us right anyway.

[ftwelder]

Originally Posted by mvpsharky

I just spent a week in Vermont and I gotta say, it was such a pleasure to drive around. Your roads (and the scenery) are fantastic .. seems like every road or highway was brand new. How do you do it?????? I'm sure there are roads here and there that need repair, but I didn't see one. The roads in RI are awful .. they blame the "weather" for all the potholes and cracks, but VT gets more snow and ice than RI, so I'm not buying it lol.
I can't wait to go back.

We usually get a few new surfaces each year as does NH. Locally, we got a wider route 5 which is pretty nice.

[ABQConvict]

Maybe it has to do with how federal dollars are distributed as well as state taxes and how the state manages its budget.

Vermont may get a bundle from the feds (I don't know) compared to RI. Also, RI may have other problems that need attending to, so roads are low on the list.

Also, RI has a higher population density and the roads may get more wear and tear per mile than VT roads.

[OhBeeHave]

Originally Posted by ABQConvict

Maybe it has to do with how federal dollars are distributed as well as state taxes and how the state manages its budget.

Vermont may get a bundle from the feds (I don't know) compared to RI. Also, RI may have other problems that need attending to, so roads are low on the list.

Also, RI has a higher population density and the roads may get more wear and tear per mile than VT roads.

I tend to believe it is the wear and tear. BUT I have to add that Route 11 was such a complete washboard disaster that ambulance crews were complaining that they couldn't safely administer to patients en route to the ER unless they pulled over. We wound up with a lot of smooth patches but not a complete pave job. That's scheduled for either 2018 or 19, slips my mind at the moment.

[CatwomanofV]

Originally Posted by cgregor

We cuss at the road crews leaning on their shovel in the summer, then worship them like gods in the winter. We're a fickle bunch. They do us right anyway.

Yeah, there doesn't seem to be anything worse than getting stuck in a construction zone. But yet, we know that it is for the better. Our road crews are getting paid for working and in turn, will spend their pay to add to the local economy. And we have good roads to boot. It is a win-win situation.

But, then there is Murphy's Law of travel-"the shortest distance between two points are usually under construction" which leads to another Vermont saying, "You can't get there from here."



Cat

[jackmccullough]

I'm pleasantly surprised to see this post. I am more used to seeing complaints about the maintenance of the roads. I think they do what they can with limited resources. We've had some concerns about bridge maintenance and I don't know where things are in that area.


I must say you got a beautiful week to drive around Vermont. Foliage season started slow but it's been pretty great lately, and the warm temps have certainly helped.

[mvpsharky]

Originally Posted by jackmccullough

I'm pleasantly surprised to see this post. I am more used to seeing complaints about the maintenance of the roads. I think they do what they can with limited resources. We've had some concerns about bridge maintenance and I don't know where things are in that area.


I must say you got a beautiful week to drive around Vermont. Foliage season started slow but it's been pretty great lately, and the warm temps have certainly helped.

It was spectacular. I was there for my first time in August on a camping trip and had to come back.

[arctichomesteader]

The roads are a mixed bag. The roads around the wealthier, touristy parts of the state get continual attention. Elsewhere not so much. It took years for the disaster that route 114 was between Lyndon and island Pond to get fixed. US 5 in Ryegate is still a mess in spots. For years I couldn't even approach the speed limit on 114, too many holes, cracks, etc. I still sometimes joke with my friends you can tell when we enter Rutland City when the roads become more potholes than pavement, if you leave the US 4/US 7 corridor..

[mvpsharky]

I drove on some dirt roads in VT that were better than some city streets in RI.