Clearing the air about road maintenance

Residential street maintenance is one of the most basic and first powers of every city and borough in the State, and locally that is no different. Different agencies maintain different roads and some of their behavior may seem wrong, but it is all rooted in a century of learning from mistakes. But from us, the general population, there are many misconceptions that lead to bad-mouthing of maintenance companies and government workers that can be cleared up with a little education.

Probably the most common misconception is that the city or borough is responsible for maintaining all streets in the neighborhood. The government does play a role, but many streets are not their responsibility. Major roads are often maintained by the government, but some residential streets are the responsibility of homeowners or homeowner associations. Private roads that were not accepted into the maintenance plan for the government are not maintained by public works, regardless of how much you pay in taxes. The best thing you can do if you live on one of these “unaccepted” roads is to contact your local government and ask what it would take to get them to accept it. Roads are added annually – yours can be added, too.

A second misconception is the belief that paving and repaving are the primary solutions to all street issues. While those can be a substantial part of street maintenance, it's not the only aspect. Regular maintenance includes crack sealing, pothole repairs, and resurfacing. These procedures prolong a road's service and delay the need for major repairs. Not doing any work and waiting until a road is beyond repair will lead to higher replacement costs and increased inconvenience for residents, not to mention damage to their vehicles.

Streets don’t last forever. They are not built to last indefinitely, unlike Roman cobblestone roads. No road is permanent. Streets fall victim to wear and tear from a variety of factors including weather, traffic, and soil conditions. Floods and earthquakes damage the ground beneath the streets. Over time, they deteriorate and require maintenance and repairs. A properly funded and operated maintenance program helps extend the life of a road, but no road can be built to last forever.

Maintenance doesn’t always have to be expensive. The thought that it is always costly is a misconception. By investing in preventive maintenance measures and addressing issues early on, cities and homeowners can save money in the long run. Governments weigh the costs of maintenance against the expense of reconstruction and prolonged inconvenience.

A lot of people underestimate the complexity of street maintenance and believe local government agencies can handle it single-handedly without expensive engineering. Working with contractors, engineers, and other specialists ensures effective street maintenance. Successful maintenance requires teamwork between government bodies and private contractors to ensure a well-rounded approach to the task. It is always best to do it right the first time than to do it cheap and quick and repair it multiple times frequently afterword.

The most unfortunate misconception is that residents often feel left out of the decision-making process and have no say. Every government actively seeks input from residents through community meetings, council or assembly meetings, public forums, annual transportation fairs, and for the non-city areas the Borough has Road Service Area boards that meet locally where you can speak. These platforms allow you to voice concerns, suggest improvements, and work together with local authorities to ensure streets are safe and well-maintained. The best plan is one that the public was involved in creating and prioritizing to make sure it speaks for the whole community.

Lastly, let’s discuss the misconception that grading is better when it’s raining because the road is more pliable. There are a few reasons why the roads can’t be graded well during heavy rainfall like we’ve had this summer. There are a few reasons why the city can't grade roads when it is raining. Rain can make it difficult for workers to see clearly, which could lead to accidents or missed repairs. It is difficult to achieve a good quality grade on a wet road. The asphalt or gravel will be more likely to move around, and the finished product may not be as durable. Most importantly for most areas, grading a wet road causes erosion and runoff of sediment. There is concern about washout into waterbodies, but more of a problem is the fact that this means that the “fines” (smallest sand and gravel) on the road are washed out, which increases the likelihood for potholes to creep out because there’s no fine material to shift and fill in the holes created when it rains. In short, the more you grade a wet road the more you will have to grade it and the more gravel you will have to buy to repair it.

Christian M. Hartley is a 40-year Alaskan resident with over 25 years of public safety experience and public service. He runs a freelance business, Big Lake Writer, from home in Big Lake that he shares with his wife of 19 years and their three teenage sons.