NetNews Usenet Archive 1993 #1/NN_1993_1.iso/spool/pdx/general/1458

Internet Message Format | 1993-01-05 | 1.7 KB

Path: sparky!uunet!news.tek.com!vice!hall
From: [e-mail] (Hal F Lillywhite)
Newsgroups: pdx.general
Subject: Re: TV Highway is in the groove
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Date: 5 Jan 93 21:07:22 GMT
References: <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]>
Distribution: pdx
Organization: Tektronix Inc., Beaverton, Or.
Lines: 26

In a recent article by [e-mail]:
>What is the fascination with grooved pavement on TV Highway?

>It seems like once a year, somebody (the highway department?  teenage
>pranksters?  aliens?) goes through and grooves the pavement on
>sections of TV Highway more or less at random between Murray Road and
>Hillsboro.  It then sits that way for months before anybody comes
>along and repaves it.

I called the state highway dept. about this.  Normally they have to
put that pattern into the old pavement when they do an overlay to
make the layers stick together.  This was done a year or so ago.
Unfortunately the overlay mixture was not reliable.  In fact it was
an experiment which failed.  I expressed my feelings about making
the experiment so extensive thus costing so much when it failed.
(Others might call the highway dept and express similar dismay at
this waste of taxpayer's money.)  Anyway, the road surface became
too smooth and would be very slick when wet so they had to do
something to prevent accidents.  The simpliest thing was
re-patterning the pavement.  This summer when weather permits they
will do another overlay job.

As far as the fellow I talked to would admit, it was uncertain if
the problem was with the contractor or the way the state wrote the
contract.  What is certain is that the taxpayers will be stuck with
the bill.