The in basket: Lois Fetters asks about something she says has been bugging her for some time.
She first noticed three white lines on East Center Street near Manchester, about a foot long, one on each shoulder and one on the center line.
“I first noticed them at the bottom of the hill at the stop
sign so I thought they were a cheap stop line kind of thing,” she said. “Then later I noticed two more sets toward the top of the hill.
“They are not located by fire hydrants. They are not located where you would put a crosswalk. They are not located where the house numbers change blocks.
“I know this can’t be it, but they are located by houses for
sale or land for sale on Center but this does not hold true on other roads that have the lines. Quite the mystery.
“Then this morning I was driving on Beach Drive from the Annapolis foot ferry dock towards
Manchester,” she said, “and I saw them every 20 or 30 feet for quite a stretch. They seemed to be almost one per house. Maybe…sewer lines. But then I
saw them where there was undeveloped land on both sides of Woods Road.
“So….I give up. Please help.”
The out basket: Lois certainly thought of a wealth of possibilities, but she missed the correct one, though her final guess was close.
The lines mark the location of culverts that cross beneath the pavement, so county crews can find them quickly during storm events and for maintenance, says Doug Bear of Kitsap County Public Works.
I have wondered about these before myself, thanks for clearing up the mystery.