To the editor:

Shoddy workmanship, we've all seen it. As a matter of fact, if you are a Tiverton resident whose road is being repaved, it might just be happening on your street as you read this.

The Town of Tiverton recently had a contractor repave Ridgeside Lane, where my wonderful wife and I reside. They ripped out the old pavement and at the same time removed the end of everyone's driveway so it was level with the road bed.

When they put down the final layer of asphalt they also patched the driveway cuts, reconnecting them back to the road. Then they compacted the road with a small "steamroller." That's when things hit a rough patch.

They neglected to steamroll the driveway asphalt to properly compact it. Instead, while the steamroller rolled up and down Ridgeside Lane, one guy strapped on some metal asphalt shoes and stomped on the freshly laid driveway patches. That'd be okay- if the guy weighed at least a couple of tons! He then used a hand-roller.

The asphalt driveway patches are woefully under-compacted, I can pick stones right out of mine! These driveways are going to fail and come apart.

I called Tiverton Director of Public Works, Richard Rogers, to express my concern with the substandard driveway patches. He told me they might not roll them if the driveway is steep, because turning the steamroller perpendicular to the road could put a depression in the road. No, I told him, mine and most of the other driveways are fairly flat.

He agreed to come over and investigate. He watched me pluck stones right out of my driveway patch. We walked the street and inspected the driveways. The average driveway patch was about 2 feet (like mine) but some were 3-5 feet. One was 9 feet. All were poorly compacted except one. Richard and I agreed the 9 foot patch had been steamrolled.

Mr Rogers said he would inquire about the reason for only one being rolled and the disparity in the driveway cuts, though the answers are quite obvious. The patch they rolled is 9 feet and double-wide, it would have taken too long for the guy to stomp on it.

And driveways that had issues at the ends received generous cuts to eliminate the problem area. That's fine, everyone who needed it got the end of their driveway fixed. Except me. A six foot patch would have been perfect. Then again, without being compacted correctly it would also fall apart.

It's been almost a month and I've heard nothing from Mr Rogers. Our public works director doesn't seem concerned about this inferior work. So just who is going to hold the contractor responsible for not properly compacting the driveways?

This is not the end of the road. I am not letting this issue get paved over!

Ralph G Doliber

Tiverton