Letter: Pointless slow motion painting causes bridge mess

Posted 8/18/18

To the editor,

I can't be the only person who is frustrated with the traffic jams resulting from maintenance work being done on the new Sakonnet River Bridge.  For weeks, cars have been crawling …

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Letter: Pointless slow motion painting causes bridge mess

Posted

To the editor,

I can't be the only person who is frustrated with the traffic jams resulting from maintenance work being done on the new Sakonnet River Bridge.  For weeks, cars have been crawling along for more than two miles beginning on Route 24 in Portsmouth.  Traffic has been reduced to one lane.  By the time drivers finally get to the bridge they realize the traffic jam was due to two workers painting the concrete Jersey barrier with a 6-inch paint roller and brush!

Who paints Jersey barriers in the first place? Do they really need it?

Traffic cones and electronic signs are put out two miles from the bridge causing massive backups merging traffic into one lane. As you inch along and approach the bridge, of course there is a flashing police car and officer, as well as large collision barrier trucks with lights flashing and often a DOT official sitting in a car. All this for two guys kneeling down and leisurely painting the concrete barrier by hand.

Mind you, there is a very substantial breakdown lane along the side of the two lanes where there is ample room for the two workers to paint without falling backwards into traffic, unless DOT fears they will jump into a game of tag and run out into oncoming traffic. 

What ever happened to the good old days of a couple of traffic cones and a large triangular orange sign saying "Men Working Ahead" or the politically correct version today "People Working Ahead,” and let the motorists drive by with some caution.

Soon the south-bound side heading onto Aquidneck Island will surely be next for spiffing up and this traffic jam should be epic. Not only do painted concrete barriers look terrible, paint eventually peels and will need regular repainting. Perhaps that's the whole idea. This work on a brand new bridge seems like an excellent "cash cow" for maintenance contractors. To me it is the death of common sense.

John Deveau

Tiverton

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