# Repaving roads - why the wait?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repaving-roads-why-the-wait/1033250>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 21, 2026, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repaving-roads-why-the-wait/1033250 "2026-09-21T17:00:49Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\
**Post date:** [September 22, 2026, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repaving-roads-why-the-wait/1033250/21 "2026-09-22T14:45:10Z")

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> [@FlikTheBlue](#):
>
> It sounds like a variation of the old “I can do two of three things, do it well, do it fast, or do it cheap, but I can’t do all three”, with the requirement defaulting to selecting doing it well and doing it cheap. The do it fast and well (but expensive) option seems to be automatically excluded.

Not necessarily. Sometimes we actually do need a project completed quickly. Like if the owner of the road tells us we have to finish before they start their scheduled work. So in that case we put the time limit in the bid documents. That will likely makes the bids come in higher than they would otherwise.

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**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2026, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repaving-roads-why-the-wait/1033250/22 "2026-09-26T12:38:12Z")

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well the slick road should have been closed.

To leave it open is attempted murder

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\
**Post date:** [September 29, 2026, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/repaving-roads-why-the-wait/1033250/23 "2026-09-29T17:27:17Z")

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> [@Isilder](#):
>
> well the slick road should have been closed.

Or at least made safe in some manner.

> [@Isilder](#):
>
> …To leave it open is attempted murder

This being FQ, it would be more accurate to say that any possible injuries or death would be due to negligence, so any potential criminal charges in the event of a death would range from criminally negligent homicide to involuntary manslaughter, depending on the severity of the reckless behavior. But not murder or attempted murder.

In practice, they typically make the roadway surface as safe as possible, and put up lots of warning signs and speed restriction signs. They might also restrict traffic to local traffic only.

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