NJ roads seem to be lacking an annual infrastructure problem

Here's a question for you. How's the pothole situation by you? Are the roads beginning to crumble after the winter freeze?

Or, have they been crumbling to the point that they look like Swiss Cheese? We all know that feeling when we have to play everyone's least favorite game, dodge the pothole.

Just look at where New Jersey ranks among other states in the nation. We might not be the number one state for the worst potholes, but we do land among the top 10.

7th among the top 10

Although New Jersey isn't the worst state in the nation for potholes, it's certainly not in a good place. The next state above us is Pennsylvania, which comes in as 6th worst in the nation.

Now, I can't speak for our friends in Pennsylvania since I don't travel their roads that often, but I can speak for New Jersey. And what I've been noticing this year in the Garden State is... well, unusual.

Don't get me wrong, there definitely are potholes forming in my area. I mean, it tends to always happen this time of year as we come out of winter and head into spring.

But, as mentioned above, there is something unusual I noticed about the potholes this year, and I'm curious if you're experiencing the same thing.

A little less crumbling?

Is it just me, or do the roads seem to be holding up better this year when compared to past years? I always remembered dodging giant craters by the time we got to later March.

Of course, this doesn't include what's been happening with I-80. That situation is completely separate and not part of the typical pothole situation that normally occurs this time of year (the latest on I-80 can be found here).

With that said, this year it just doesn't seem to be as bad. Yes, there are still potholes forming, and parts of our roads in general are showing signs of crumbling.

But as for those giant pothole craters that litter our roads? I'm just not seeing them at that insane level. At least, not yet. And I have a theory as to why I think that's the case.

Is constant cold to blame?

We all know to expect cold temperatures in New Jersey during the winter months. Even if it's once in a while, we have to expect it.

But hear me out on this. Could the constant cold we experienced this past winter be part of the reason why our roads are in better shape?

Really think about it. Unlike past winters, we didn't seem to have as many thaw-refreeze cycles as we've had in the past. And if we did, the temperature difference wasn't as extreme.

And it's that thaw-refreeze that tends to lead to giant potholes. Could that be why the roads have been holding up better than expected?

Report what you see

With that said, we might see more of those extreme freeze-thaw cycles hit as we go through early spring, which could no doubt open up some new, massive craters.

From my observations, we've been getting lucky this year. But if you do happen to notice potholes forming, you can report it to the NJDOT by calling 1-800-POTHOLE.

Again, maybe I've just been lucky with the roads I've been traveling on this year. But it does seem like the potholes in New Jersey aren't as bad for this time of year as they normally would be.

The above post reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 Sunday morning host & content contributor Mike Brant. Any opinions expressed are his own.