The Pothole Patrol adopts Shafer Road

By Editor | March 12, 2025 |

Photo by Shari Harris
From left, EZ Street President Dag Seagren, Representative Bennie Cook, Senator Brad Hudson, EZ Street Marketing Manager Elyssa Maslach, and Friends of Shafer Road organizer Larry Wrest were among the more than 30 people on hand for the kickoff of the Pothole Patrol marketing campaign on Thursday.

By Shari Harris, Publisher

SHERRILL TOWNSHIP, Mo. – The Pothole Patrol hit Shafer Road last week to save an orphan road abandoned by government neglect. EZ STREET® Asphalt kicked off their current marketing campaign in Texas County, when their ambient asphalt was used to fill potholes on the stretch of old Highway 63 commonly known as Shafer Road.

A contract was entered into between Sherrill Township and the Missouri Department of Transportation in 1962, and according to the terms of the contract, the maintenance of the road would revert back to MoDOT if the township notified them they would no longer maintain it. The township opted to stop maintenance and notified MoDOT of this, however, MoDOT has made no efforts to maintain the road since that time. MoDOT Director Ed Hassinger has indicated that they have no plans to incorporate the route into their list of maintained roadways.

The neglect of the road has resulted in an abundance of potholes and crumbling of the sides of the road, making it difficult and dangerous for residents and other travelers, including school buses, emergency vehicles, and employees and visitors of the George O. White State Forest Nursery to drive along the road.

All hands were on deck Thursday, March 6, when EZ Street met with Friends of Shafer Road, concerned citizens and state government elected officials to kick off their campaign. EZ Street President Dag Seagren and brother Lars Seagren, EZ Street Executive Vice President, were joined by General Manager Tom Francione, Marketing Manager Elyssa Maslach, project manager Charles Thomas and multiple other members of their crew at the event, which was the start of a nationwide project to start conversations and motivate change.

The goal for last week was to patch 600 potholes, with the big offenders addressed first. Attendees at Thursday’s event were able to observe as workers patched holes along the road with the ambient asphalt. EZ STREET® Asphalt has been shown to last 20 years or more, and is anticipated to outlast the road around it. New Frontier Materials worked with EZ Street to bring the materials to the location; several bags were purchased at Friend Lumber as well for use on the road.

Dag Seagren sees the pothole issue as a metaphor for what’s wrong at a bigger level. He described their national campaign as being about efficiency in the government as much as it is about fixing roads. The Pothole Patrol aims to prove that using their superior asphalt allows the government to do better, to slash repair frequency, saving labor, equipment and overhead.

State Senator Brad Hudson and State Representative Bennie Cook spoke at the event.

Senator Hudson reiterated that Shafer Road is one of his and Cook’s priorities in Jefferson City, and they are asking for a two million dollar appropriation from the budget to fix the road. He urged those attending to use X (formerly Twitter) as a way to bring the issue to the attention of legislators.

Representative Cook discussed efforts to rename the road, making it an extension of Highway 137. Work also continues to secure funding for repairing the road and to get the road added to MoDOT’s list of maintained roads for future upkeep. He urged citizens to write letters or use X and email to contact legislators about the issue.

CItizens applauded the Pothole Patrol for donating their material, labor and expertise to improve the road.

Friends of Shafer Road organizer Larry Wrest thanked the crew, Senator Hudson and Representative Cook, and “we the people” who began with a petition and have continued their efforts since then to try to find a solution to the problem.

EZ Street also had on location their Cyberbeast, and invited all to take a ride in their Tesla cyber truck.