If a utility company digs up a government asphalt residential road to lay piping, are you able to find out what the rules are regarding how they are required to leave the road? Our residential road was dug up all down one side, the company did not replace/cover the trench in the same asphalt but a gravel type of covering that looks awful, and is terrible to drive on and prevents children from walking or cycling on it.
Auntie’s answer: I reached out to the National Roads Authority (NRA) and the way the process works is first the entity which wants to undertake trenching must fill out a form found on the NRA website to get permission to excavate a section less than 30 inches wide.
In addition, an NRA official explained that the authority also sets out specifications for the excavation, backfill and reinstatement of a trench, which offer the rules in great detail.
Since you did not provide the name of the road you are complaining about, I could not find out anything specific concerning the repairs and/or replacement that was done. Therefore, the best way forward is for you to contact the NRA with your complaint and the authority will investigate. The official added that if you email the NRA, your complaint will be logged in and dealt with.
How long is it going to take to finally finish Crewe road?
I suppose that I ought to find it surprising that the NRA would send a lengthy dry document instead of a simple explanation. But here is one from someone who works for a utility company, although not in any way involved with road trenching or road reinstatement.
1. After a trench is dug and refilled, there will be a long period of time before it settles at its final level, regardless of the amount of compacting done at the time of filling. Thus, a temporary surface first, and wait until it has settled to a certain degree before the final resurfacing.
2. There are a limited number of companies in Cayman that can do the final resurfacing, so there is always a lengthy delay before they can get around to doing the smaller jobs.
3. So the procedure is usually:
a) Dig trench and fill with marl or fine crusher then wait a few days/weeks/months.
b) Cover marl with “chip and spray” to keep it from washing away when it rains, compact it again, then wait a few more weeks/months/years for the “chip and spray” to be replaced with the permanent “Barber Greene” type asphalt.
c) Wait a few more months and watch it all once again sink below the surface of the rest of the road.