National Park Service Says It Doesn't Have Money to Fix 295 Potholes

The Baltimore-Washington Parkway did not have a good winter. And things don't look to be getting any better for in the near future.

As massive potholes took over a stretch of 295 this winter, the National Park Service which oversees the road lowered the speed limit in areas the most affected. Countless drivers have reported flat tires, wheel damage and bumper damages as a result of the potholes and are becoming increasingly frustrated over the lack of repairs being done to ensure the safety of commuters.

The Park Service says it has less than half of the funds needed to repair the Baltimore-Washington Parkway and other nearby roads it operates that are in despair including the George Washington Parkway and Rock Creek Parkway.

Adding to the frustration is the lack of the state of Maryland's ability to step in and address the issues of the roadways. The issue is reinvigorating a 2017 proposal by Governor Larry Hogan for the state to take control of the Parkway. "These dangerous conditions on one of Maryland's most traveled roadways is unacceptable, and the governor is eager to move forward with the transfer of the Baltimore-Washington Parkway from the federal government - who clearly cannot appropriately maintain it - to the state," says Amelia Chasse, a spokeswoman for Governor Hogan.

John Townsend of AAA Mid-Atlantic says the recent federal government shutdown played a role in the preparation for "pothole season" and placed the blame on Congress. It "looks like a highway in a poverty-stricken country, a country that doesn't have enough resources to take care of itself. It is a national disgrace."

Will the BW Parkway and the other nearby roads maintained by the National Park Service get the repairs needed soon? Or will something finally have to break in order for someone else to step in and take control? We will see.