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Sunday, September 29, 2013

POLLITT ANNOUNCES NEW EQUIPMENT TO REPAIR WICOMICO COUNTY ROADS

Wicomico County Executive Rick Pollitt and Department of Public Works – Roads Division crews unveiled new equipment to help preserve county roads and make them safer for the traveling public.

The new aggregate recyclers allow County crews to more effectively and economically fill potholes using hot mix asphalt. The equipment keeps the asphalt at an appropriate temperature to settle and bond to the surface, allowing for permanent, pothole repair.

“We can install a permanent pavement repair any season of the year, thereby reducing the need to continually maintain a temporary repair in the winter when hot mix is not available,” said Lee Beauchamp - Director of Public Works, “This also saves the County in trucking costs to deliver small batches of asphalt from the plant. It’s like having a mobile asphalt plant available all year long.”

County Executive Pollitt commented, “This machine allows us to take the rubble from old roads, heat it up, mix it up and turn it into a strong, solid patching material for repairs. It recycles old materials, extends the life of our County roads and saves the taxpayers money in the process. It’s a good deal all around.”

Previously, crews used a “cold patch” – a temporary fix that required routine maintenance. The cost of cold mix asphalt was approximately $125 per ton. The new equipment will allow the department to produce its own quality hot mix from leftover asphalt millings at a fraction of the costs and also allows crews to repair more potholes each day.

To report a pothole on County roads, please contact the Roads Division at 410-548-4872.

22 comments:

WORK work work said...

Why cant they let the Prisoners do the work and let a couple of Paid Guys Assist them, put our LAZY Prisoners to WORK and that goes for the Welfare crew Also.

Anonymous said...

I agree lets put the prisoners to work. This is a cost savings to the tax payers.

Anonymous said...

Most work you'll ever see Pollitt do.

Anonymous said...

Prisoners have rights people. They cannot be made to labor under dangerous conditions. They have the right to sue the country/state if something goes wrong while they are working. Any heavy equipment is out of the question.. and.. they have cable tv and movies so they need to be back at a reasonable hour to get their free dinner and watch their favorite shows.

Anonymous said...

The machine sounds like a good investment. Good job County.

Tim church said...

The county roads used to have one of these pieces of equipment . It proved inefficient and more costly. It was sold at one of the count surplus auctions for pennies on the dollar. The last time I saw it was in the field behind the trading post on south Camden ave. so much for new ideas.

Anonymous said...

I'll bet ole Ricky was on the rake about as long as took the shutter to snap. Put him on the road crew for 8 hours and he fall out.

Anonymous said...

There is a common occurrence in our development that I don't understand. A Wic County road crew (3 men in a dump truck) ride through here all the time but nothing ever gets done.

Anonymous said...

Inefficiency BREEDS inefficiency. FAT boy can't do anything but make more fat and lazy people. Waste of time! Waste of money! Typical Tricky Ricky and a photo op.

Anonymous said...

hey Ric, will the Dump truck that sleeps three still be roaming the back roads of our fine county?
lets follow this story and see just how much we taxpayers save.

Anonymous said...

How much did this piece of equipment cost the taxpayers???

Anonymous said...

I just read something about yellow sleepers.

Anonymous said...

Come on Tim...That was twenty years ago. Don't you think that they could have improved on technology since then? Apples and oranges, .

Anonymous said...

If that is so, why don't you pick up the phone and call somebody when it happens. There is a big number on both sides.

Anonymous said...

Well good. Now can you please start repairing the dang roads? And city of Salisbury, maybe you could rent it or pay them guys to fix your streets?

If you don't have the money, sell the freaking fire boat.

You can bust out windows a whole lot cheaper than using a million dollar floating waste to do it.

Anonymous said...

Can give them a list of roads to start on.

Anonymous said...

It looks like they could use more newer Yellow sleepers to haul stuff.

Anonymous said...

I guess they want to close up the rest of the small paving businesses in the area so they can keep more money for themselves as in pay raises and expand county payroll.

Anonymous said...

paving co's can do driveways and parking lot, IF they lower their prices.

Tim church said...

What is the batch capacity, how much propane is used for each batch, how many employees and pieces of equipment are involved in the process? The raw materials have to be loaded somehow and it has to be towed to the site.How many batches must be produced just to cover the cost of the piece of equipment ? Then there is maintenance on the equipment itself. Do the math and see if it really is cost effective versus purchasing hot mix from the batch plant. But then again it does look good in the paper the only thing missing is 3 or 4 more employees to shovel the finished product out

Anonymous said...

They are paying their employees anyway. Whether they are shoveling hot mix or leaning on a shovel.

Anonymous said...

Wow Tim Church, for somebody that was once one of "those lazy county workers", you sure know it all now. You were even there in the good ole' days with the real good ole' boys. Guess you are mad that they aren't around now to call you and give you simple jobs at the cost of the taxpayers. If you have all these questions, why don't you call and find out. I don't believe that it runs on propane and pretty sure that asphalt millings aren't any more costly to load than cold patch. Guess you somehow think that the plants stay open all year and that the hotmix will somehow stay warm in the back of a truck during colder months to patch holes. Oh...and what about tack? Isn't that a tack applicator that I see on the unit? Looks like a good idea to me if you want to get away from worthless and costly cold patch.