KENT COUNTY, Del.- Drivers in Western Kent County have found themselves in a recurring rut, many say they're dissatisfied with how the state handles the perpetual issue.
West Dover, Hartly and Marydel locals are accustomed to horse and buggies trotting down the street, but they tell us these charming journeys leave behind a modern day problem: rutting on the side of the road.
"When our wheels go into the divots or dips it makes our car shift from side to side," shared Willie and Tammi Sharp who travel Nault Road on a regular basis. "It's dangerous and makes it difficult to drive."
Others who live in the rural area said wet weather exacerbates the situation.
"The ruts fill up and the vehicles can hydroplane pretty easy," Chris Lesley said.
"When it snows, forget about it," warned Gloria Gleadow.
Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) spokesperson, C.R. McLeod, said the department is "aware of the complaints and does go out and do repairs as needed."
However, the repairs often involve a temporary solution known as tar-and-chip, which the Sharps noted, "In all the time we've lived here, these repairs haven't proven to be long-lasting."
"They attempt to fix it and those attempts fail," Lesley added.
McLeod explained that DelDOT has no plans to re-pave the roads with fresh asphalt "as the rutting will still occur from the horse and buggies, so [DelDOT] does not see that as a solution."
Those WBOC spoke with Tuesday think the department should reconsider their stance.
Gleadow said according to her own personal experience, Pennsylvania, often considered the heartland of the Amish community, has less rutting on its roads.
"I was just up there and didn't experience any ruts on the back roads," she said. "I would think there are more horse and buggies there that run their wheels on a consistent basis than here."
"When we do the roads we need to rethink how we do them particularly in the rural areas," Gleadow said.
"We would appreciate, and I believe other neighbors would appreciate if they would just redo the roads completely," the Sharp's said.
McLeod encouraged community members to report locations in need of repair to DelDOT, assuring that the department will make prompt efforts to address the concerns.