MADAWASKA, Maine — Roughly 1,800 feet of new paving laid down along Main Street this summer is targeted for removal and replacement after failing to meet Maine Department of Transportation density specifications.
“As we did the compaction tests [and] cut core samples we found they did not meet the density standards,” John Bither, DOT project manager, said. “The tests indicated a low area and sure enough, we all agreed that area does not meet the standards.”
The $650,000 DOT project was contracted to Lane Construction and the stretch of road in question is on the north side of the street between 7th and 12 avenues, Bither said, and will require about two days to remove and replace.
Bither earlier had hoped that with the help of a couple of warm days the work could be done this fall.
But on Friday, Christina Therrien, Madawaska’s town manager, said she had been informed the replacement has been delayed to next summer due to the cold weather.
The total project covered one end of Madawaska to the other and used 2,583 tons of asphalt. According to Bither, 360 tons will be removed and replaced.
“There are a lot of things that go on with hot mix asphalt,” Bither said. “All the tests we did on the materials passed quite well, but a lot goes on with the placement [and] if a roller is out of whack or the materials are not compressed just right, it can fail the test.”
Rodney Lane, district manager with Lane Construction out of Bangor, said, “This project, as with all [DOT] projects, needs a certain density of the mixture. At times around curbs or structures you don’t achieve those densities.”
Quality control measures are in place throughout the entire process, Lane said.
“The state people are there to take their tests,” he said. “In this situation there was enough of an issue we need to remedy it.”
Those types of tests are ongoing on all DOT projects, according to Ted Talbot, DOT spokesman. “That’s why we have project directors on the sites.”
“The Madawaska repaving is not an isolated incident,” he said. This past summer a section of newly paved road along Fort Kent’s Main Street was replaced after it failed state specification tests last year.
“As testing technology gets better we are better able to identify trouble spots in materials,” Talbot said. “That way what we do put down lasts the expected lifespan.”
Lane said his company does not want to leave any of its jobsites with inferior materials.
“We have a really good relationship with DOT,” he said. “We want to put down quality material and what is not quality, we want to replace.”
In addition to the road work in Madawaska this summer, deteriorating curbs and sidewalks were replaced.
“Overall the project went really well,” Therrien said. “Our Main Street was in terrible condition with huge ruts.”
Despite the removal and replacement project being delayed to next summer, there will be no effects to the driving public.
“That section is not going to fall apart or disappear over the winter,” Bither said. “It is just an area that needs to be fixed.”
See this is what you get out of cheap work
makes you wonder about the poor homeowner who saved for years to have their driveway redone–they don’t have the DOT to come check to see if it’s done right….and believe me it’s not cheap
“We have a really good relationship with DOT,” (says the builder, Lane)
Translation: “The DOT has an almost unlimited supply of taxpayer money that we (Lane) can tap into, and that money is available indefinitely. We know when we have a good thing going.”
Yeah.. didn’t realize it was Lane. … pockets filling pockets filling even more pockets… up and down the government. Oversized boarder buildings,Highway Authority with crazy amounts for tolls ect. Stupid!
There are businesses on that stretch of road… I’m sure they’re elated with the news.
You two really need to get a clue
I’m lookin, I’m lookin’ ! Is this Shaggy? Can I have my Scooby Snack now?
Impressive…..that comment really makes you sound smarter than your first comment did
Does the company or person(s) responsible pay an appropriate amount of money back since they were incompetent? Can’t blame this one on the Canadian Metric System conflicting with our Standard Systems like what happened in the St. John in F.K. No… there will be a reason why nobody will be at fault. They all protect eachother sometimes. Isn’t this why they make the big bucks? You know…three guys watching another guy dig a hole? When you ask why they have so many people standing around… it will be for safety (OSHA-good reason) and Supervision/Guidance. Where’s the Supervisors? What about the fancy equipment they all have in their tool boxes to tell them about things like this…as it’s being built ?
They have beautiful women and great pot up there so that might be an excuse.
I hope Lane is footing the bill for their shoddy paving. The taxpayer should not have to pay for them to redo their mistakes.
Lane Construction will be footing the bill for the repaving, as would any other contractor if the quality isn’t up to spec., Lane’s typically does the best work around in their field. We are all human and anyone can make a mistake.
Meanwhile pot holes big enough to swallow entire vehicles are left alone. Is Barack Obama running this paving project?