Oh no!-Not the BIKE PATH!

From today's Journal...

30-foot-wide sinkhole develops above sewer pipe along bike path


MIDDLETOWN — The city will spend about $265,000 to fix a 30-foot-wide sinkhole off of Sixth Avenue.

City Council passed emergency legislation Tuesday to appropriate the money from the sewer capital fund to repair the large hole, which is located along a grassy edge of the bike path. The sinkhole is about 15 feet deep and formed because of holes in the top of a corrugated sewer interceptor pipe, according to Public Works Director Dave Duritsch


$265,000 !!!! to fix a hole 15 foot deep and replace some pipe? One bidder- SK Construction, who seems to get most of the work from the city. Some people on council/city building connected with SK somehow gettin' a little something back perhaps? Emergency legislation used here again. They found the money quickly on this, but can't seem to find money for the vault while looking for years. Probably a "public safety" thing on the hole fixin'. Yeah, that's it.

Many of Middletown’s sewer and water pipes are aging and Duritsch said it is difficult to assess their condition because they are underground. Regarding funding to repair roads, Duritsch said there is little money available to be proactive with pipe replacements.

“This is a common issue nationwide to not have the capital to replace aging infrastructure,” he said.

But Dave......the city has had 30+ years to make available funds for the aging infrastructure. You've used the money on everything OTHER THAN the aging infra. Did you and others before you think the pipes would last forever?

Councilman Josh Laubach said the city needs to map out plans to set aside money to make infrastructure repairs, and he hopes to figure out ways to allocate more money for roads and sewers in 2012.


Good idea Josh. Unfortunately only about 30 years too late. Get rid of the pet projects wanted by certain city officials and start placing that money into the roads/sewer funds. Tell Carolus to put the money taken in the 80's, back into the roads fund. Why hasn't this been done yet?

This potentially could be a really big issue down the road,” he said. No, it's already a big issue now......not "down the road".

2 bidders Mr.B

Spider:  I believe that Dave D, Missy G, and Mayor Lawrence P. Mulligan, Jr. hemmed and hawed that fund all the way up to $2.6 million (and rising) before the mayor choked and changed the subject.

As someone who walks the bike path every decent weather day, I can attest to the paths use. Obviously, when there's been a flood, the bike path needs cleared and in places repaired. I believe the point for putting it there was for it to be of most use with the least cost. Being isolated makes it safer to a degree.

rem 1187 wrote:  Who puts asphalt in a river bottom? ....

Sorry I forgot myself, it's the same group of people who are clueless it would seem to how powerful water can be and how "dirty" a river is in high pool.  Thought they would have learned after attempting to install a LAKE in the middle of a flowing river. Mike this spot from what I have been told has had problems before there is a bend in the river which is causing that part of the bank to be eaten away.  Also there has been a Bald eagle working the river from Franklin down to the trenton bridge. Taking advantge or crippled birds from this season.

Hermes- that mound of dirt in the background is just that: a mound of dirt. Actually, it looks like shredded trees and other debris that has been collected when the river floods. The city or conservancy district must collect the debris and then chip it and put it in this pile. Don't know whether it has a use or not; my curiosity is: did this debris pile contribute to the sewer problem? 

TonyB,

I think that you said you walk the bike path frequently. Can you help me to understand something, please???

What is the square, grayish-looking object in the picture that can be seen beyond the sink hole, just to the left of the bike path???

SK is installing the 12" bypass line and trash pump.

Mike, it actually took S-K til Monday to hve the pipes unloaded, so it took about 4 days with two of them the weekend. Haven't walked by yet today but will soon. I'll deliver a full report.

An update on the work being done along the bike path. Looks to me they have laid about 400 to 500 ft of the new pipe. I'm impressed that the work seems to be moving along quickly.

My concern is with the safety of the levy, alot of this ground on the flood plan is gravel, under mining can occur and the work needs to be done correctly unlike the resurfacing that was done last fall on several streets that they(city) allowed to happen. What happened to doing it right the first time from the top down?