The in basket: Dustin Butler wrote this week, “I just spent the afternoon watching a crew grind the top layer of asphalt off of Collins Road between Baby Doll and Mountain View (in South Kitsap). This section of road was just repaved by the county last summer and it appeared to be just fine. Can you find out what gives and who is footing the bill of this rework?”
The out basket: Kitsap County Road Superintendent Jacques Dean says the asphalt provided for the paving work done last year did not meet specification and the asphalt supplier is redoing its part this week at its own expense.
County equipment and employees, who did the work a year ago, completed it this week too. The supplier paid to have the defective pavement ground off and for the new batch of asphalt, he said.
Drivers in the area may have noticed a lot of loose rock on the driving surface and some holes as the top layer of aggregate (rock) broke out of the asphalt since the repaving last year.
Last year’s repaving was a maintenance project completed by county staff rather than a contracted project, he said. Testing of the asphalt was not completed at the time of placement due to heavy staff workload, although testing may not have revealed the observed raveling problem, which showed itself sometime after the mix was placed, Jacques said. The supplier could have argued that the fault lay entirely with the county and its placement operation, but didn’t and accepted responsibility for the asphalt mix.
“We had them out there earlier this spring and they acknowledged the problem was most likely on their end,” he said. “They are doing what’s right, no arguing, and stepped up to the plate. I commend them for their integrity.”
Jacques expected the work to be finished Thursday.”
