A pothole by definition is a problem. No one intends for a pothole to form and exist – they are not here by intent. Unfortunately, the technology does not yet exist to build impenetrable pavement because all roads are subject to inevitable atrophy. The best we can hope is to minimize pothole formation for as long as possible.

To know the best ways to fix potholes – and prevent them from forming in the first place – it helps to understand how pavement is constructed and what it is about the road surface that typically fails. Second, it helps to think of pavement as somewhat like human skin: both will eventually age, but a little help – fixing small cracks before they get bigger, for example – can go a long way toward keeping things looking and working better for a longer period of time.

President Obama wants to blame Republicans, but a major opportunity to repair infrastructure was missed in 2009

President Obama threw the lowly pothole into the lofty debates on the future of our country on April 18 when he suggested that Republican-led budget cuts will further the crumbling of infrastructure, leading to “potholes everywhere.”

Really? Mr. President, the potholes are hardly the sole fault of the Republicans. With all due respect, this is a problem that has been building for a long time. Potholes are a product of two things: physics and neglect. Physics include time, moisture, temperature fluctuations and road use. Neglect is when cities, states and the federal government all fail to properly maintain the roads; without money to fix cracks and small potholes, the physical breakdown of pavement is accelerated and becomes exponentially more expensive, a pure example of where a “stitch in time saves nine.” Politicians absolutely play a role, but there’s no reason to pin this on either party at any one level of government.