Sunday, July 26, 2009

Dig 149'

[Warning: Totally off-topic]

A few days ago what looks like spray painted graffiti appeared on the street near my house.

Four white L-shaped lines with arrowheads on each leg roughly define a 12' by 20' rectangle with a big X just about dead center. Above the X is the word Dig and below it is 149'. There is also a blue arrow with an S on one side and an R on the other and a second blue arrow, this one surrounded by an S and a T.

Whatever is about to happen here seems to have received not one but two approvals, judging by the red and yellow OKs near one of the corners.

I suspect there's going to be a big hole here real soon but I sure hope they don't plan on going down 149'.

Update: Two men were around this morning and added to the existing artwork. There is now a well-defined 6' by 10' box with a new X (this one having 152' under it), along with 4 more arrows and a couple of miscellaneous lines. With the new X being about 3' to the east of the old one, the numbers now appear to be measurements from a benchmark roughly in the middle of a nearby intersection.

The men were soon back with what could be described as a wheeled, gasoline-powered Skill saw on steroids which they used to cut through the pavement along the 4 sides of the rectangle.

The backhoe cannot be far behind.

Update: Well the backhoe did show up this morning, along with some sort of tracked digging machine, a dump truck and a few workmen. In pretty short order they broke open the asphalt and dug down about 11' to expose a partially collapsed section of the storm water sewer. In less than an hour they had the bad piece out and a new piece installed.

The guys broke for lunch leaving this scene.

Shortly after lunch the crew returned and finished filling in their hole and then installed a proper asphalt patch.

6 comments:

Gretchen said...

Wow, a treasure hunt!

Mary Kay said...

Who needs Pirates of the Caribbean when you can have Pirates of the Rochesterians!

Bernie said...

Of course, you may not see any actual work done for a year.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

Wow, very quick.

Anonymous said...

Mike--have you seem my street? Our water mains are being replaced, and I actually feel a kinship with the guys in the hard hats on the street. Yes, Dr. K, I have been awakened by the backhoe several days in a row, but they are very courteous and I may make them cookies before it's all over. God Bless those who keep my water running and the streets plowed and the garbage picked up!
HC Mom