Current Issues in Journalism

20th St. and Tennessee St. Intersection
Photo: Kayla Regan

Click the link for a video of the dip
http://https://owa.ku.edu/exchange/kaylar/Inbox/No%20Subject.EML/1_multipart_xF8FF_3_20th%20and%20Tennessee.mov/C58EA28C-18C0-4a97-9AF2-036E93DDAFB3/20th%20and%20Tennessee.mov?attach=1

The streets in Lawrence are notorious for their high population of pot holes and dips. Every Lawrence driver is most likely very familiar with the feeling of their car going up and down, reacting to each imperfection in the road. The dip located in the intersection of 20th St. and Tennessee St. is a prime example of a piece of road many drivers brace their cars for. All one has to do is stand on the corner of the 20th St. and Tennessee St. to witness each automobile react with a violent up and down motion while going over the dip.
While many residents in Lawrence simply ignore the conditions on the streets, there are those who believe pot holes and dips should not be considered a necessary inconvenience. Referring to the dip at 20th St. and Tennessee St., KU student Ashley Wanger declares she would “just like to drive my car to Walgreens without having to worry about it bottoming out.” Wanger, who drives a 2001 Jeep Cherokee, should not be the only KU student worried about the dip. According to Bob Holladay of Bob’s Auto Maintenance, “if it [the car] has worn out parts, it [dips] can cause it [the car] to break.” While this may seem like a mild statement, one should consider the less than sterling condition of the majority of cars in Lawrence.
There is a large population of students with old used cars, who have little knowledge of auto maintenance, and a dip similar to the one located at 20th St. and Tennessee St. may be too much for a car not in top condition. Tom Orzulak is the Street Division Manager for the Street and Storm Water Maintenance division of the city of Lawrence, and is responsible for overseeing road maintenance. Orzulak, who may be reached at (785) 832-3031, stated that “the intersection of 20th and Tennessee was constructed with the ‘dip’… on purpose to allow street drainage to flow from west to east on 20th Street…Other dips caused by defects in the base of the road or failure of under ground utilities are repaired when necessary.”
Despite giving a reason for the dip in the road, Orzulak may have to try harder to convince Lawrence drivers of the dip’s necessity. Reacting to Orzulak’s statement, KU student Courtney Jerome states “I don’t care what the reason is…you know the thing should be fixed when your head hits the hood of your car every time you go over it.”