The in basket: Gary Nolta writes, “I travel Highway 305 four or five times a week, and I have noticed that the road is sinking where they have been working with the stream for the fish under the road.
“There was no dip there before the work began. It is really noticeable in the south bound lane. Hopefully they will fix it before the contractors leave,” he said.
It was noticeable but not alarming when I looked for it on a drive along 305 a while ago. I asked if the office handling the culvert replacement there was aware of it.
The out basket: Jerry Moore, project engineer for the state on that job, says, “Yes, I am aware of the dip in the road. Two to three months ago we had profiled the road so that potential settlement could be monitored. There was some minor settlement a month ago but that was not enough to be of concern. Just recently the settlement of the roadway has increased and is noticeable. Now that the pipe insertion work is done we are evaluating what is the best course of action addressing the dip in the roadway.”
Seems as though road repair is a science that escapes most people and PUD’s, especially Bremerton’s. A water main was replaced under 18th street between Winfield and Perry Ave. couple years ago, and the road has settled considerably. Someone poured some asphalt patches into a couple of the lower spots, so now they’re higher than any of the surrounding road. Even a small patch is beyond local capabilities – it appears they simply pour asphalt and pound it with the back of a shovel. Look at the intersection of Winfield and 18th. Good luck, Mr. Nolta. It took Bremerton 3 years to repair the washout on Wheaton Way.