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LTE: A solution to the devastation wrought by utility companies on our streets

August 13, 2024 by To The Editor

To the editor:

Long ago, cows, farmers’ carts, and horses and buggies made our first paths and roads. Farms gave way to homes built on these roads. Soon, these homes welcomed water, sewer, natural gas, etc. and utility lines under their roads to deliver these useful and necessary services. Roads were paved over and I like to imagine that for one magical moment, all of our streets were smooth, unbroken surfaces.

But then began the never-ending attack of the utility companies.

They come into our town, dig up our streets, do their repair work, and then do an incredibly shoddy job of filling in and paving over their work site.

Their surface restoration quickly turns into a pothole, complete with tilted or deeply recessed sewer covers. Our newly paved streets turn into a rumble board in two or three years.

I have a suggestion:

Holes dug in our streets can be filled and covered only by a qualified paving company and not by the utility companies.

The paving company would guarantee their work to be as good as, and last as long as, the original pavement.

Our streets would be safer for driving and bicycling, plus a newly paved road would last years longer. This longevity factor, plus the utility companies paying toward the qualified paving companies’ work, would offset any additional cost to get these repair jobs done right the first time.

I do see some excellent and long-lasting patch jobs, usually square or rectangular in shape. I think these were done by the town and they do show that a good resurfacing job is possible.

Dick Leahy

Garden Road

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