2010: The Year of the Pothole?

I have a new nemesis. Its name is 287. Precisely a stretch of 287W between Exit 8 in White Plains, New York and the Tappan Zee Bridge. Driving home a few days ago, I felt like the little frog in the old video game except rather than manically switching lanes trying to avoid getting smashed by cars, I was weaving trying to avoid potholes. I am not the only one.

Thanks to the vicious winter, the potholes this year are not only more prevalent – they're bigger. A recent USA Today story cited a tripling of potholes in Wichita, a doubling of the amount of material needed last year for repairs in Sioux Falls, and an extra $12 million just added to the road maintenance budget for the state of Iowa.