The Department of Transportation (DoT), and its state subsidiaries across the nation, are responsible for helping to keep roads up to standard. When they’re not up to standard, that can cause issues on the road, such as damage to vehicles, car accidents, and even death. By staying on top of asphalt issues, they can avoid potentially hazardous conditions year-round.

When DoT’s fall behind on road inspections and projects are delayed because of it, they scramble to get roads up to par. If they don’t, then this can cause longer term issues that impact drivers and commutes nationwide. If they can stay on top of the issues, they rarely have to rush to get things done. Unfortunately, every state plays this game differently, and some do it better than others. For those that can’t keep up on road projects, it’s often the drivers that pay the price.

Normally, when highways and public roads need to be repaved or repaired, communities approach their city councils and state boards to get the job done. From there, they reach out to asphalt companies – normally ones they’ve done business with before – to take on the work. Depending on the scope of the job, and the time of year, this can start rather quickly and be done just as quickly. It all depends on the timing. Since many cities and states wait until the last possible minute to get this work done, it can cause havoc with the drivers who still have to get to and from work every day.

While DoT’s across the country struggle to find the right way and timing to do asphalt projects, it doesn’t always work out in the benefit of either party. When roads are closed or detoured for a long period of time, this can cause issues for drivers just trying to get to and from. That’s why all asphalt projects should be started at the right time of year and not when it can’t wait any longer.