I encountered this titular phenomenon today while traveling White Rock Road in Merced County and Mariposa County. The paved portions were some of the bumpiest and most haggard I've ever encountered anywhere in California. Interestingly the last ten miles was a largely well graded and smooth dirt/gravel surface.
In in my area the phenomena of the dirt portion of a road being smoother than the paved portions is very common. Earlier in the year Madera County Road 800 stood out for a silky-smooth dirt segment which was fronted by a worn-down asphalt portion. I suspect that it is simply just easier/more cost efficient for these rural mountain counties to maintain a dirt or gravel grade more frequently over paved surfacing.
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on August 16, 2024, 08:06:34 PMI encountered this titular phenomenon today while traveling White Rock Road in Merced County and Mariposa County. The paved portions were some of the bumpiest and most haggard I've ever encountered anywhere in California. Interestingly the last ten miles was a largely well graded and smooth dirt/gravel surface.
In in my area the phenomena of the dirt portion of a road being smoother than the paved portions is very common. Earlier in the year Madera County Road 800 stood out for a silky-smooth dirt segment which was fronted by a worn-down asphalt portion. I suspect that it is simply just easier/more cost efficient for these rural mountain counties to maintain a dirt or gravel grade more frequently over paved surfacing.
There are many places, especially on the high plains, where minor paved rural roads have been returned to dirt or gravel because they're are less expensive to maintain.
Mike
Proctor Valley Rd in San Diego Co between Jamul and Chula Vista is dirt, easily drivable if a tad washboarded right now. When you get down near Otay Lake, there's a sign saying "end county maintained road", and it turns into a paved road where half the pavement has crumbled away, making for annoying potholes. So it's true that it's better to dig the pavement up if it's never going to be maintained again.