It’s been mentioned before that driving a motorized vehicle is one of my favorite things to come from our propensity to invent things.

Being able to travel faster than our feet can carry us on a freshly paved road is a thrill I hope I never have to relinquish to self-driving cars.

As such, I still feel that it’s important to maintain the surfaces we drive upon.

This includes roads and bridges. While a bridge failing could result in a more severe accident, poorly maintained roads are a daily nuisance here in Pearl River County.

No matter where I drive, failing roadbeds lead to crumbling asphalt filled streets spotted with water-filled suspension killing holes.

Even some of the patches where crews attempted to repair a road condition do little to rectify the problem in the long term.

Take today’s please fix located on Bales Avenue in Picayune for example.

It appears as though the problem that resulted in the asphalt having to be torn up near that sinkhole is ongoing, because the asphalt is still sinking, creating an asphalt covered pothole. It looked safe enough when I approached it Friday afternoon, but as I tried to traverse the patch, the jolt I felt in the steering wheel and suspension made me turn around to determine if there was indeed a hole there. While leaving the area, I watched another driver head for the same section of road. However, this person must have been more versed in the area than I, because the driver expertly steered the vehicle around the sinking asphalt.

We all know that funds are tight all over Mississippi when it comes to road maintenance. But several bills are being proposed by our Legislators that may bring some help. Let’s hope that help comes sooner rather than later before I need a front-end alignment.