Why Are Lewiston and Auburn Potholes So Bad This Year?

Wear a cowboy hat when driving in Lewiston/Auburn, because it feels like you are on a bucking bronco.

The Sun Journal recently posed the question about the insane potholes in the Lewiston/Auburn area. When they asked readers to name the worst spots for potholes, they had some amazing responses.

Here are just a few examples:

The lack of at least filling in potholes legitimately has left me with a broken front suspension. A few weeks ago on my way to work during a rainstorm, I hit the pothole next to KFC heading towards Route 4. The impact was significant enough that my dashboard alerted me “collision assist.” Turns out my (front axle) snapped right in half. Not only did I hit this pothole but there was so much loose gravel on the road I thought for sure my windshield was going to crack.

Worst two miles in the Western Hemisphere

Merrow Road, in Auburn, is the worst two miles of pavement in the Western Hemisphere. The potholes are deep, axle-busting monsters that lend the appearance of a war zone in a third world country. Cars and trucks creep around the broken pavement trying to maintain road safety while thoughts of tow trucks and broken wheels dance before their eyes. And it’s been that way for at least the 10 years since I’ve lived in Auburn.

This is a sinkhole in Chicago years ago, but when you hit a big pothole, it feels like this.

Avoid Main Street in Lewiston and Court Street in Auburn

Sun Journal readers named Main Street in Lewiston and Court Street in Auburn as two of the worst. Not just because of the massive amount of road missing, but that it's hard to avoid them because of traffic. So why are potholes so bad this year?

You know all those storms we've had? Yeah, that was a big factor in chewing up our roads. Plus, hot tar (the best fix for potholes) can't be used in the winter, and with no snow cover, and water on top of water on top of water, it's just been mayhem on the roads.

Here's the good news and bad news

The Maine Department of Transportation will be paving parts of Center Street and some Lewiston Streets this summer. Sorry Main Street, you're not up for paving until next year. So you will get to stop complaining about pothole season and start to moan about construction.