Randall Grondin, of Bethel Public Works repaired roads damaged in the recent storms. Rose Lincoln
BETHEL — Bethel’s public works team led by Foreman Scott Sumner spent much of last week on storm related duties.
Sumner said his phone rang more on Monday, May 1, than it had in a long time. He then directed his sub-foreman, Ryan Bennett, to answer some storm-related questions for this story.
Bennett, of Bethel, is starting his fourth year with Bethel Public Works. Last summer he was promoted to sub-foreman.
“Everybody works well together as a team. It is a pretty good group of guys,” said Bennett of his workmates, Toby Walker, Jr., and Randall Grondin, both of Bethel and Kevin Wight, of Newry.
Currently the team of five is working on 15 to 20 roadside erosions at Grover Hill Road, Intervale Road, North Road, Chapman Hill Rd, Gibson Road, Barker Road, Skillings Road, Chandler Hill Road and other locations.
Before the storm, to prevent flooding, they try to clear as much debris as possible from the mouth of the culverts, “hoping it has good water flow.
“During the storm you run around and do the same thing. As the water flows out of the woods and into the ditches it brings a lot of debris with it that potentially plugs the culvert … Getting debris out of the road. Taking calls non-stop. Pretty much running round and round all day,” said Bennett.
It is so much water in such a short amount of time that the pipes can’t withstand that amount of water. The asphalt is cracked because the water also erodes the road.
In the days following a storm they try to backfill the damaged areas so the water gets pushed out. They use a gravel with a heavier base to fill. It is a temporary fix that, with time will settle.
Keith Wight of Newry and Bethel Public Works rakes out a roadside on Grover Hill Road damaged in the recent storms. Rose Lincoln
Finally they repave where the collapsed pavement was.
Following the recent storm, Bennett’s advice to motorists is, “if the road is closed, don’t drive around the barricades. We had a couple of vehicles that did that yesterday [May 1] and it didn’t fair too well for them. They got stuck and had to be pushed out. Cars were floating.”
Asked what season is hardest, Bennett said, “Winter was a lot harder for sure. There was one storm this winter that we worked a total of 38 hours without stopping. The trucks never stopped for 38 hours. That was that two-foot storm that we had… For hours and hours, until the roads are cleared and we feel safe enough with the conditions that we can go home and get some sleep.”
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