Seattle Times, Sunday, 23 October 2011
One out of every four major roads in the city is in serious disrepair. One out of every 10 is in such bad shape that it’ll have to be reconstructed, according to the city’s transportation department. In all, 400 miles of major streets need fixing, at an estimated cost of about $578 million.
By Susan Kelleher, Seattle Times staff reporter
It’s not your imagination.
Seattle streets really are that bad. And, they’re not going to get better anytime soon.
How bad are they?
One out of every four major roads in the city is in serious disrepair. One out of every 10 is in such bad shape that it’ll have to be reconstructed, according to the city’s transportation department. In all, 400 miles of major streets need fixing, at an estimated cost of about $578 million.
Residential streets that once received routine maintenance now get none, only pothole repairs or emergency fixes. The city hasn’t surveyed those streets but estimates it would cost $25 million annually to maintain them.