Where did that noise come from?

[papaof2]

Heard some really ugly noises - like a metal trailer loaded with metal barrels dragging its jacks. Then 20 minutes later some WUMP!--WUMP!--WUMP!--WUMP!--WUMP!--WUMP!--WUMP!--WUMP!--WUMP!--WUMP! from a large pneumatic hammer. Looked outside and there's a metal trailer covered with metal pieces that look like concrete forms and skidsteer accessories - and there's a skidsteer out in the middle of the road digging about a 4' x 3' hole maybe 5' from an existing manhole cover.

That WUMP!--WUMP! continues for a while from different places and it looks like they're doing that every 250' - 300' down the middle of the road. Historically, they didn't move many manholes up to road level the last time they paved (a few years back) so are they only now catching up on that work?

30 minutes later, the skidsteer has a scoop on the front and is more than a half mile down the road and over the little hill there so I can't tell how many more holes they've made in the road unless I drive - don't think it's worth burning that much gas. Maybe I need that solar-charged electric trike I've written about previously - it would have plenty of room to get by but that might not be the case for a larger vehicle because there is a large dump truck parked on the side of the road in that more distant area - so the trike might be a good option. (Where's that extra $1200 plus shipping?)

Question: which service is getting the manholes opened? Water? Sewer? Power? Natural gas? Telephone (wire or fiber)? Internet? Etc? Etc?

That trailer has a lot of metal forms on it and a large concrete mixer that appears to be engine powered at the tail end.

If my analysis is correct, when they finish setting the manhole covers in concrete, I could go out and read the embossed info to find out who it's for - if they still identify the holes that way - and maybe scratch "papa + momma 2023" inside a heart in the concrete ;-)

[papaof2]

My guess was correct - they're pulling old manhole covers and their collars from the holes they've dug so these are the ones covered over by the most recent road paving. The skidsteer's bucket is only big enough to hold two of them and the guy tugging them into the bucket is doing it leaning over at the waist so I predict his back will give him fits tonight :-(

They still have several hours of daylight so they might get the forms in place and the concrete poured today.

[papaof2]

They're now out front with an electric jackhammer with a 2" chisel blade to smooth / even the edges to be able to put the new collar and any forms in place. Not sure how much they'll get finished today but at least the hole out front is under one of the County's "almost daylight" street lights - one a bird was under chirping away at 5AM shortly after the light was installed.

If they don't get it finished, any sober driver should see it...

[gipsy]

Key word "sober"

[papaof2]

The crew did leave some traffic cones out - one on either end of each hole. Probably OK for the one under the streetlight, not so much for some of the others - and there's an obstacle course for at least a half mile, maybe more: I didn't drive it to measure the distance and I don't know where the last hole is so I can't use Google maps for the distance between addresses.

If I'm awakened by "SCREE THUMP!" during the night, I can look out the window for verification and then call 911.

[papaof2]

It looked like the crew had closed things down for the day around 4PM, but then I heard the skidsteer start back up around 6PM and they've been working steadily since then. Don't know if someone in the company inspected things or a deputy sheriff on patrol saw it or someone living on the road called 911 about a hazardous condition but the work crew has filled and leveled the three holes I can see with "cold patch" asphalt (good enough for the level of overnight travel they'll have) and I still hear the skidsteer moving. I guess an overnight fall into one of the holes might happen to a heavy vehicle (school bus at 6:30AM tomorrow?) but the road's better than it was.

Wonder how much longer they'll be working by streetlights and vehicle lights? If they need more light, I could run some big LED lights from the riding mower if they can keep it filled with gas - or maybe make that 3-to-1 gas: 3 gallons for every gallon the mower burns...

[papaof2]

All four trucks have left: two pickups, service truck pulling the trailer with the form, skidsteer attachments and the concrete mixer, dump truck with the skidsteer on a trailer.

Anyone want to bet on what time they'll be back tomorrow?

[gipsy]

Nope they work for the guberment

[papaof2]

The patch is still out front and no workers. Maybe a couple more years before they install the manholes?

[gipsy]

It is the guberment. A road I travel a lot has had construction going on since late spring. No idea when they will finish

[feralferret]

How long until someone staring at their phone steps into one of the holes?

[papaof2]

The holes are now flush with the pavement surface but I don't think cold asphalt survives much punishment. These areas will have school buses going over them five days a week and garbage trucks two days a week. Maybe they'll wait until January to do the other work because it's in next year's budget? That's a very non-intelligent answer when 50% of the work will have to be repeated and having the "finishing" crew here yesterday would not have impeded the original crew in their process of "open and remove" and would have greatly speeded up the installation of the new manhole collars and covers.

Ahh, the wonderful stupidity of government putting work up for bid.

[gipsy]

And it goes to the slowest bidder.