ANDERSON — "Rough Road Ahead."
Driving south on Interstate 69 from the Alexandria exit, motorists are greeted by a sign with those words as they approach the Chesterfield exit. It's an accurate description of the pavement until they reach just north of the Pendleton exit.
Within the past 48 hours — and particularly on Thursday — Indiana State Police officers reported a large number of blowouts on the interstate awaiting emergency repairs by the Indiana Department of Transportation.
“Embarrassing,” Fairmount truck driver John Zirkle said of the road conditions on Friday.
“I came back through Indianapolis last night from the west,” he said. “Thirty miles per hour is too fast. It took forever.
“When you get on I-69 where they redid some of the road, its awesome; shortly thereafter it goes to total bull,” Zirkle added.
Zirkle said the potholes are damaging to trucks, particularly their suspensions and shock absorbers.
“A friend of mine just had to put tie rods on, way sooner than they should have,” he said. “It’s very expensive.”
Lamar Holliday, media relations director for the Greenfield District of INDOT, said crews are out on a regular basis filling potholes on the interstates, U.S. routes and state roads.
“INDOT crews have been filling potholes on an emergency basis for the last couple of weeks,” he said. “Crews will be performing semi-permanent repairs in Madison County starting Sunday, weather permitting.”
Holliday said last year INDOT dedicated 155,000 man hours, used 12,200 tons of material and spent $5.7 million on pothole repairs.
Muncie resident Dave Green laughed about his trip on I-69 south from Exit 234 to Exit 226 in Anderson.
“It’s a pretty typical spring with the potholes,” he said. “It was rough. I never saw a 'Rough Road Ahead' sign on the interstate. It’s appropriate.”
Green said he had to slow down to avoid bent wheel rims.
“This is Indiana,” he said. “I’m 57 years old and been driving since I was 16, so to be fair, I know what winter and salt does to the roads.”
Mary Coffman of Muncie said she prays she won't get a blowout driving along the interstate on a regular basis to Indianapolis.
“I drive the interstate all the time as part of my job,” she said. “It’s hectic, terrible, scary driving to Indianapolis. You have to drive slower because you have to dodge all the potholes.”
Coffman said she has noticed "Rough Road" signs on Ind. 3 going into New Castle but hadn’t seen similar signs on an interstate for a long time.
“It’s good that they warn you,” she said.
Michigan resident Courtney Belmore, who was traveling to French Lick, said the Indiana roads were in better shape than in the Wolverine state.
“The Indiana interstate has been better than in Michigan,” she said. “You have to do a lot of swerving.”
Holliday reminded drivers to slow down and allow crews to fill the potholes, adding that there may be some lane restrictions.