As this interminable winter drags on, and we all have whiplash from driving Janesville and Main Streets, I offer some miscellaneous musings on streets in Oregon.
The Feb. 20 issue of the Observer has an article entitled ‘Rough Road,’ which I read with interest.
While I fully understand frost heave, especially this winter, I was astounded by the sentence which read: Below said he hasn’t talked to the county about repairs to Janesville or Main Street, which is also Hwy. MM. Huh? Really?
Considering road budgets, which are planned years ahead, Oregon has not approached the county on planning resurfacing for the main thoroughfare through Oregon?
In reference to the expansion joints, Below also stated, “Depending on how severe they are, they will go back down with (sic) the frost goes away.” Yeah, Mark, the expansion joints may get better, but how about the holes that we dodge to preserve our suspensions, the manholes inches below the surface of the street, and the mess in the block of Janesville between Perry and Wolfe? Throwing some asphalt mix in the holes is NOT the answer.
Broadening the conversation, why was a manhole at the intersection of Wolfe Street and Concord Drive allowed to be installed at resurfacing time inches below road surface? Were there inspectors on the resurfacing job?
In a more humorous vein, who has noticed that the arrows painted in the left turn lane in the middle of Wolfe Street are backwards?
When are we going to resurface Pleasant Oak Drive to get rid of the pothole field at the entrance to Autumn Woods Lane?
There are never enough dollars for road repair, and always too many worthy projects, but to push responsibility to the county in hopes of some positive result, or ignore flaws that will not go away with the frost means our local government is failing to protect our interests.
I would like to drive through the main streets of our town without a mouth guard and without swerving around holes in the road.
Steve Johnston
Village of Oregon