Molly Tumanic

It’s a typical March day. The sun is out and the snow is melting. I’m driving down Clairemont Avenue in my four-door grocery-getter Oldsmobile, running errands.

As I drive up Highway 53 South’s on-ramp, the adventure begins.

In preparation, I spray some wiper fluid to make sure my windshield is crystal clear.

As I begin the ascent, I start to swerve. The car ahead of me is nearly on the right shoulder, and I’m struggling to stay off the left shoulder.

Alas, it’s my turn to cruise up the right shoulder of the ramp. As I approach the merging point, I brake not for the other cars on the highway, but because I’m swerving more than a scared drivers ed instructor.

No, there is no black ice. No ice at all, actually. The concrete is as dry as could be.

There are no crazy drivers threatening to push me onto the shoulder.

The evil roots of my adventure up the merging ramp are round little holes … or, should I say big, deep black holes in the concrete, otherwise known as potholes.

It’s safe to say I’m not the only one who has experienced this scenario recently, as the snow is melting and the potholes are becoming boundless. After all, when winter is over, the only season left in Wisconsin is road construction season, right?

I think Eau Claire just might have some of the holiest roads in America – and not just because of the Lenten season.

So, let me “fill” you in on the situation.

The Spectator reported in an article last week that Eau Claire is aware of the problem, and the weather conditions have been the main factor as to why potholes exist.

The recent fluctuating temperatures cause water beneath the surface to freeze and expand. After the ice melts, the pavement is weakened and eventually collapses due to the weight of vehicles.

So according to that theory, the only way to really eliminate the problem is to stop driving on the roads all together. Because I see a better chance of John Ashcroft proposing marriage to Saddam Husseinthan that happening, there is still the issue of fixing the potholes.

While Hastings and Clairemont are both old roads, that is no excuse for them to be in the condition that they are in.

In The Spectator’s article, a student was quoted saying her car bottomed out in a pothole and she had to get her wheels rebalanced.

Just the other day, a colleague of mine had to call in the “dad services” to change a flat tire caused by a pothole.

While these are just two innocent victims of the black holes’ ferocious grips, there are many, many more unnamed victims.

Therefore, something needs to be done. We can’t blame the city workers for a lack of effort on their part. In the article, Tom Beekman, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s District 6 systems planning and operations chief, said some workers are working overtime.

I commend their hard work in fixing the problem. I realize in a time of a state budget crisis that finding funds for further repairs is difficult.

But if drivers’ cars are being damaged to the point where they are sent to the repair shop, clearly their efforts are not enough.

The temporary fix used right now consists of filling the holes three to four times a day with cold-patch asphalt.

Yes. They fill the same pothole three to four times a day.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that solution might not be quite as cost effective, either. To me, it seems very temporary … maybe too temporary.

Let’s compare this to my friend’s flat tire, shall we?

Her tire is flat and her car is undriveable. Instead of permanently fixing the problem, she decides to temporarily fix it.

Three to four times a day she thumps along to the nearest gas station to fill her flat tire up with air. It gets her by, but filling up the tire is costing her a lot of time and quarters.

Any logical person knows this does not seem like a reasonable solution by any means.

While I may not be a concrete expert or have a “concrete” answer to the problem, I do know more planning needs to be put into the maintenance of Wisconsin’s roads and highways.

You didn’t know it, but until just a few weeks ago, it was a secret that about this time each year in Wisconsin, potholes make an appearance.

Another secret just recently revealed was the age of Clairemont and Hastings.

Beekman also mentioned in last week’s article that permanent solutions for fixing state highways are planned, but will not be implemented until 2007.

I realize they’re trying, but how hard would it have been to repave 1/8 of a mile of an on-ramp last fall?

Because I don’t foresee the problem being fixed anytime soon, maybe I’ll just put my pothole driving skills to good use. Sign me up, NASCAR!