Wondering if our particular variety is somehow related to summer temperatures. The surface temperature of the road in the hottest part of the hottest days would surely require some type of specialized tar/asphalt.

I don't know if things have changed in recent years, but a decade or more ago I remember reading an article that said our road financing system was completely jacked up. Federal law required that the lowest bid be the winner--even if their were a more technologically advanced, longer lasting, better solution that costs more. The article also said that the regulations required that the company that submits the winning (lowest) bid also be the company with first shot at any repair work that needs to be done.

Anybody else see where this plan will lead? Submit a lowball bid based on the crappiest materials you can get by with, knowing that you will get to come back to fix the inevitable issues down the road. (No pun intended)

Smoother, longer-lasting roads are out there, but unless our system is revamped I don't see us getting them anytime soon.