Letter | Fix the roads now

Highways, byways and even Interstate 40 in Mohave County are in the most decrepit condition they’ve ever been in.

Shoulder projects, talk of the I-11 corridor and countless propositions have done nothing to improve the shape of our roads. Potholes and craters continue to grow in depth and numbers, and everyday drivers are paying the ultimate price in multiple ways.

Potholes of this magnitude present a much bigger problem than the occasional flat tire. Exterior damage, damaged suspension components and even the infamous “death wobble” can be attributed to roads in need of repair. (The death wobble is a term coined by automotive hobbyists that refers to an unstable condition in a vehicle’s steering and suspension components, whether it’s a detached sway bar linkage, worn-out steering rods, or worn-out ball joints.) The death wobble greatly increases one’s chances of being in a fatal collision.

There’s also the risk of potholes directly causing a collision, whether a driver swerves to avoid them or loses control of the vehicle due to the impact.

Many drivers in Mohave County simply travel in the passing lane to avoid the disastrous nature of the right lane. This is especially true in the case of Highway 93, where the entire right lane between Kingman and Dolan Springs is practically unusable.

There’s also the method of using backroads and byways to avoid damaged highways, thus forcing those byways to handle a larger workload than they’re designed to sustain. Legend Ranch Road, which connects Highway 68 to Highway 93, has faced incredible damage because of this.

If the state does not repair our main highways soon, it will not only be more fiscally unsound in the long run, but will continue posing a risk to citizens.

Matthew Blair

Kingman