Recently, approximately 7.5 miles of road were resurfaced by crew members who received training on the proper use of the computer-controlled Chip Spreader purchased in August 2013. The additional pieces needed for the process were acquired this summer.
“Having this type of operation at our disposal allows Public Works to service our road network at a level we have not seen in years. By doing this type of work with county staff and equipment, we can do a complete road treatment in a timely manner and improved quality control with fewer dollars spent. This is a real win-win for Public Works and the citizens of Wicomico County,” said Lee Beauchamp, Department of Public Works Director.
The Department of Public Works – Road Division resurfaced the following roads:
• Spearin Road
• Layfield Road
• Mt. Olive Road
• Long Ridge Road, and
• Seymore Road
The first part of the tar and chip process, the application of liquid tar, was outsourced. However, the department took over from there, applying crushed chip stone using the spreader box attached to the dump truck transporting the gravel. The stone adheres to the hot liquid tar and finally a roller is used to embed the stone into the tar. In a few weeks, once the application is cured, a crew will come back and sweep away the excess stone.
County Executive Rick Pollitt stated, “Many of the nearly 100 miles of roads resurfaced this year were on the list back in 2008 when we lost our State Highway User Revenue. In light of the county’s loss of that revenue, we have had to be creative and come up with smarter, more effective ways to maintain our roads system, relying more on local resources. Our strategy is to build a Department of Public Works that can do more with less while maintaining safe roads for travelers. This is a big step in that direction.”
Beauchamp notes that by taking over the chip application portion of the process, the department was able to save the county $.44 per sq yd per day – a total savings of $40,000 versus contracting out services. Beauchamp is currently investigating the purchase of a tar distributor truck to render the Department truly self-sufficient, with all work performed in-house by county employees.
38 comments:
Guess Beauchamp is trying to save Rick's butt. All I have heard is that this machine costs hundreds of thousands when purchased with NO ONE knowing how to use it. It sat for more than a year until people could be trained. This isn't a victory, but a spin to keep Rick for getting slammed AGAIN over poor management and decision making.
Beauchamp spends more money than he saves the County. Hopefully culver will get rid of all the over spenders in the county and get some control on this P-Card spending.
They had to do something for an alternative as they ran the oldest and largest black topping agency out of business - AMERICAN PAVING CORPORATION.
I can't imagine what it is going to cost to bring in an outside firm as the closest one is Bramble.
Tar and chip does nothing to fix potholes or heat heaves. Rolling bumps and sunken areas remain misshapen. It' an old band aid used back in the 50's and 60's until milling and asphalt became the new science.
I guess Ricky never got the Mimeograph on that one!
You know what Joe. I've noticed, and I also have asked a friend who is a regular reader of your blog if he'd noticed, that people rarely stand up for Rick and his partners in crime anymore. I find that telling that even his most ardent supporters are jumping ship.
Agree chip and tar was used when they couldn't afford asphalt and it does little if anything to repair the road.
Tar and chip is a waste of time. Better to spend the money on asphalt as resources allow. But then all of the County roads closer to Salisbury already have that. As usually the outer portion of the County gets screwed.
You know what's funny about all of this...
Three years ago I sat down with Rick Pollitt explaining how Mr. Sharma had done this YEARS ago and on the more rural roads and how much money was saved.
Rick had absolutely NO CLUE about this process. Now it's taken THREE years and an upcoming ELECTION for him to make it LOOK like he's actually doing something with the roads.
Tar and Chip has always been done on the County roads. Even before Sharma. It has only been since the state took all of the fuel money away that there hasn't been money to do it. Those of you suggesting it is cheaper to blacktop are out of your minds. The life cycle of asphalt is maybe twice that of tar and chip and it costs ten times the amount. If you waited to put down asphalt until you could afford it as 6:09 suggests, you will never seal up any of the roads. From my understanding, the machine was acquired last winter and used this season once the staff was trained on the entire operation. In fact, I can remember when the county used to do it years ago themselves. 6:05, are you suggesting the taxpayers can afford asphalt now? I don't think so, and as conservative as you all are, I would guess that you wouldn't mind a little bumpier ride if the roads remained navigable if it cost a lot less. Guess some of you would rather just see the roads fall completely apart.
Tar and chip is only used when funds aren't avaiable for black top. The money the county used to do those roads would of cost 3x more if they were to use black top and those roads are considered light traffic so therefore don't require black top. I'm glad the county is able to do it in house and save the tax payers money. On a side note not all county salaries and benefits are as great as some may think.
Afford asphalt not after Beauchamp bought all that new equipment, maybe there is more money than they let on? Otherwise what a waste of money we don't have.
6:52
The roads in the County that I ride on are already as bumpy as hell because they are tar and chip. Maybe we need to use tar and chip on all of the roads in the County so we are all equal.
Don't plan on riding a bike on those roads as I found out the hard way!
Funds for black top or resurfacing roads and funds for equipment are 2 totally separate grants. Know your facts before posting
Speaking of roads. I know it is not a county road but what is happening to the road on route 50 westbound at Hobbs road. Im not talking about the constructions. Ever since they paved it about a year ago there are huge bumps/divets in the road where the lines are. They seem to be getting worse each time I go that way. I have never seen pavement do that before.
Then you must ride on a lot of back roads because most "main" roads are black topped due to them being considered high traffic or heavy used roads, tar and chip is used just to resurface and extend the life of the road so it doesn't turn into a dirt road or a grassy field.
7:34
You need to get away from Salisbury and on some of the back roads in the County. We're not all as blessed as you are.
I ride back roads on a daily basis and get out of Salisbury every day. I know the frustration of the tax payers for bumpy roads because I am a tax payer for Wicomico county just like everybody else, but unlike most instead of just blabbing out outbursts and look into why the county do what they do and I understand the reasoning behind them using tar and chip and I also support them for doing it. If we just sat around and waited for the county to get the funds to black top every road a lot of us probably wouldn't be around to see it or would wait so long most of the roads would turn to dirt and grass fields with wheel tracks going thru them.
Sue the county 7:18.
The local tire companies would lose a lot of money without tar and chip.
Let me explain something to some of you IDIOTS.
It was the LIBERALS who RAISED your taxes.
It was the LIBERALS in Annapolis to took your highway user taxes, THEY STOLE THAT MONEY and put it into their general fund. They claimed they would pay it back, they LIED.
Now all you have left is the lipstick on a pig, while you PAID FOR blacktop, you get sh!t instead.
Yeah, you IDIOTS just keep voting for these LIARS and THIEVES.
Now how do you feel!
7:21 must be Lee Beauchamp posting.
I like tar and chip roads. Lived on one all my life and never had a problem with it. Two bonuses: City folks don't like them and there aren't any lines to cross.
:)
They recently tar and chipped the roads around my house. It is a NIGHTMARE! When they scraped the sides of the road to remove the overgrowth, they missed most of it. They did NOTHING for the bumps and ruts in the road. The potholes were filled with asphalt but NOT leveled with the road surface resulting in .... more bumps!! The roller didn't do diddly squat as far as pressing the stone into the tar, but it did make quite a damn mess on my car! They didn't even press it well approaching intersections... you slide on the loose stone, which is dangerous. God forbid you encounter a chicken truck or a dualy pulling a horse trailer or hay-filled wagon... there's enough loose stone on the sides of the road to roll you in a ditch.
Now you know why they "saved" money.... they did it half-***!
When they are removing the overgrowth it isn't meant to remove all of it, basically they are just exposing the edge of the road the best they can so it gives the chip box operator a guide line on how wide to make the road and the reason they missed some was because the overgrowth was lower then the existing road so In order for them to get all of it they would of had to tear part of the road up to cut the overgrowth. Secondly tar and chip isn't meant to fill the holes or bumps it's meant to just over lay and preserve the life of the road and as for the rollers not doing anything...I'm sure if they had not used them at all you would of noticed a huge difference in the amount of loose stones flying all around. If you read the article Rick Pollitt recently published it states towards the end of the article that the county would do a follow up on all the roads with brooms and sweepers to get any loose stones off the road.
Anon 8:49:
That's crap you're dishing out. I've lived here for 40+ years and been through tar and chip before...we have NEVER gotten blacktop. If you had been here, as I was, watching them flying up and down the road, you would know of what I speak. It was a CRAPPY job. The loose stones are dangerous... period, end. Not to mention the damage from stones hitting windshields, scratching your car or sticking to it. And there was NO other way to my house, they did all the roads that lead to my house.
Furthermore, I did read the article. My road has been done for a month or more and guess what? Stones still a'flyin!
Guess that county job pays you to do damage control too? Pfft.
849, AKA Ricky, Go ride your motorcycle on those roads today. NOBODY has swept up any loose stones, they simply wait for traffic to kick it off, "saving" the County even more. Meanwhile, the loose gravel is a safety hazard, as well as the unpaired grade.
If your road has been done for a month then it's not the ones underlined in the article because the county just recently finished them 10 days ago. The roads you are talking about must be the ones the contractors did and they should of swept them off upon completion and if they didn't then call the contractor and complain. Furthermore if your road is tar and chip now and has been for years as you claim then it's gonna remain tar and chip until it's deemed a high traffic area or you complain enough to the county but get inline because appartently there are a lot of people on here already ahead of you. I'm not doing damage control nor am I on county salary but thanks for the idea, I think I could get $40000 with full benefits and maybe a county car and credit card.
You people complain about everything. Move to the city if you don't like the county roads!
The problem is that their doesn't appear to be any damn tar! Just chip! What a bunch of idiots!
5:36 Posting - American Paving
I agree. American Paving has been around for decades. One in upper management informed me that with all of the regulations including mandated federal & state mandated wage scales that their was more incentive to go out of business than to stay in business. So Wicomico currently finds itself in a pickle as there is no one left to even perform the work.
And Bramble - (Easton) is the only closest that can even handle the chore of rebuilding the eastern shore roads. I know that American Paving employed about a 100 or so workers and operated (2) blacktop plants. So who loses in the end - the taxpayers. Rick Pollitt & even the Governor himself should have seen the freight train coming. What a financial mess!!
I don't think it was prudent for the administration have put out this announcement. Most people who live here know full well what has been going on. All this announcement is going to do is make people even madder than they already are. Their timing could not have been a worse time, right before the election.
8:20 and 5:36. Neither of you know what the he!! you are talking about. American Paving didn't do tar and chip work to begin with and they sold out to a company who is still operating locally. There are others as well. The county doesn't require federal wage rates unless it is Fed or State funding. They sold out when the bubble burst and there wasn't enough to keep them going. What you all are talking about is ridiculous. Many of the American Paving employees became employed with the new company American Infrastructure. The county hasn't had any money to give to them anyway since 2008. There main customer was the State of Maryland. Get your facts straight.
Here I am to save the day!
Lee Beauchamp
Right before elections, the dems like to show us why we nee to keep them in office!
10:33 - You are the one who needs to get your facts straight. I was there at the Public Auction and actually bought some of their concrete finishing trowels. A couple of my friends bought a few of their pick-up trucks. Who in the heck do you think you are fooling - they were not 'Bought Out'. And yes - they did Tar & Chip as they did my parking lot on 94th Street in OC, MD.
You must be one of the status quo politicians that is now trying to save face at the 11th hour.
To 10:33 Poster - I believe the point being made is that MD is just to hostile an environment to conduct business in. Heck, they even tried to tax the services to repair computers.
8:20, 5:36, 10:33, I would hold my breath. You know the Lumber treating business located across the street from the former American Paving, they were recently sold to another out of state outfit. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if they decided to close-up or move also. If Wicomico plays their manf. exemption, look-out they be gone to.
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