Just over four weeks after it first appeared, the bump that became a hole has finally gone.
Late on Tuesday evening I reported the problem – yet again – to the Royal Borough of Greenwich via their online reporting system. Within five minutes I received an automated email reply, but I did not expect much to happen for some time. Imagine my surprise – therefore – when two contractors arrived early on Thursday morning and began repairing the road.
After compacting the debris in the hole with a small road-roller, they laid a thin skin of Tarmac over the debris, and then used a compactor to flatten the new surface so that did not protrude above the surrounding road surface.
The whole repair took less than half an hour to complete ... and I am not convinced that it is going to survive the battering it is going to get once the warning signs and traffic cones have been removed.
Late on Tuesday evening I reported the problem – yet again – to the Royal Borough of Greenwich via their online reporting system. Within five minutes I received an automated email reply, but I did not expect much to happen for some time. Imagine my surprise – therefore – when two contractors arrived early on Thursday morning and began repairing the road.
After compacting the debris in the hole with a small road-roller, they laid a thin skin of Tarmac over the debris, and then used a compactor to flatten the new surface so that did not protrude above the surrounding road surface.
The whole repair took less than half an hour to complete ... and I am not convinced that it is going to survive the battering it is going to get once the warning signs and traffic cones have been removed.
Wait until dark - then dig it up again!
ReplyDeleteThat was probably the response from the first call. For the next 2 months waves of work crews will show up and dig up the patch to re-fix it because their worksheet says it they need to patch it.
ReplyDeleteDid they repair the underlying problem that caused it all in the first place? Back in ancient days before I retired the city (Boston, MA) spent several weeks regrading, placing all new Macadam, and painting the various lines for traffic and parking spaces and such signs painted on as "SLOW", No LEFT TURN", etc. It looked great! Two weeks after it was all finished the same Public Maintenance people tore it all up to replace the water and gas mains below the same street. That street was covered in bumpy patches and pot holes for the next 4-5 years.
ReplyDeleteDick Bryant
Tim Gow,
ReplyDeleteI am tempted ... I am tempted ...
All the best,
Bob
Ross Mac,
ReplyDeleteThe scenario you outline could easily come to pass. I am a little concerned that they have not yet removed the warning signs and cones ... although someone has moved them about/rearranged them at some point during the day.
All the best,
Bob
Dick Bryant,
ReplyDeleteAs far as I know, what caused the original bump to develop has not yet been determined. I half expect the bump to return once the warning signs and cones have been removed and vehicles begin driving over the Tarmac 'patch'.
What you describe as having happened in Boston has occurred near where I live. A nearby council completely redesigned the road layout of a local town centre to make it safer for pedestrians by slowing road traffic down. Traffic calming measures included new pedestrian crossings, extended pavements, and larger pedestrian refuges in the centre of the road. Within a month it was all dug up again because new gas mains had to be laid. Once that was over, the redesigned road layout was replaced by a new and different layout as the original caused massive traffic flow problems. All-in-all the roads have been dug up and replaced at least twice a year for the last three years ... and I suspect that they haven't finished yet!
All the best,
Bob
Stu Rat,
ReplyDeleteKnowing my local council, they would probably take such a complaint seriously. Some years ago they ordered a newly-built house to be demolished because the colour of the bricks used was not exactly the same as those used in other nearby houses ... that were over one hundred years old. The decision was overturned on appeal when it was pointed out that the colour of the bricks used would eventually mellow to match those on the older houses.
Not long afterwards the council allowed a new shopping development to be built in the centre of the local town ... and it has since won awards for its bad design.
All the best,
Bob