Letter: Crabgrass thrives in this slipshod Tiverton asphalt job

Posted 12/4/19

To the editor:

Crabgrass- we've all seen it growing out of cracks in old pavement. But what about crabgrass growing out of asphalt laid just six months ago? The Cardi Corp repaved Ridgeside Lane …

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Letter: Crabgrass thrives in this slipshod Tiverton asphalt job

Posted

To the editor:

Crabgrass- we've all seen it growing out of cracks in old pavement. But what about crabgrass growing out of asphalt laid just six months ago? The Cardi Corp repaved Ridgeside Lane in May. About three months later I noticed crabgrass growing straight out of the new pavement. 

I made a short video of it on Nov 4 and posted it on YouTube. Just enter Crabgrass Ridgeside Repave. By then there were about 30 individual stalks of crabgrass growing directly out of brand new asphalt! I've never seen or heard of this in my life. 

Now, if crabgrass is growing out of it, you can rest assured that the pavement is porous and water is getting in. Come winter when that water freezes and expands? Can't say when, but the road will prematurely fail, thereby putting the Tiverton taxpayer (you and me) on the hook for unnecessary repaving. 

When Cardi Corp repaved they didn't steamroll the driveway cuts, they had a guy with metal asphalt shoes stomping up and down on them! All the driveway cuts (except one) were done in this slipshod manner and will also prematurely fail. 

The Tiverton Director of Public Works, Richard Rogers, came in June and watched me use my fingers to pick apart  the new asphalt laid for my driveway cut. Go to YouTube and enter Slipshod Ridgeside Repave. The slipshod cuts are my main concern, but I'm not too happy that everyone who needed an extra-long cut to fix their driveway got one, except me. 

Here's what Director Rogers had to say:

"DPW finds the asphalt work acceptable. DPW would, nonetheless, contact Cardi regarding your driveway compaction method and your driveway cut-back length.  Cardi has been contacted a few times regarding the above. They have not yet inspected the area and reported to DPW. DPW will continue to contact Cardi. When Cardi relays answers for your questions, we will contact you again."

Yup, the engineer who runs our Public Works watched me pick apart the new asphalt bare-handed and says the job is "acceptable". I'm sure a little crabgrass is just fine with him, I'll just start mowing the road. So just where is the Cardi Corp through all this? It's been six months with no word from them. Too busy to send a guy out for an inspection?

This is my fourth letter detailing the sloppy paving job the Cardi Corp did on Ridgeside Lane (and who knows where else). If they had done a top-notch (as opposed to slipshod) job wouldn't they have immediately wanted to disprove my assertions six months ago?

The fact is they can't because everything I've said is true, this paving job is substandard and I've got the proof. Why are our town officials in such deep-denial? It appears they could care less about your hard-earned tax dollars being wasted!

Well, this is where the rubber meets the road.

Ralph G Doliber 

Tiverton

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