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A chip seal project on Highway 138 from Roseburg to Glide this summer was meant to extend the life of 25 miles of pavement, but instead shortened the patience of many drivers whose vehicles were struck by rocks that came loose from the road surface.
Jared Castle, public affairs manager for the Oregon Department of Transportation, said the agency is still working to monitor the problem reported earlier, sweeping the roadways of rock and helping to get reimbursement for people whose vehicles have sustained damage.
“We own this problem,” Castle said of the troubled seven-mile stretch of highway. “This is a situation where we and (the contractor) are trying to figure out what happened in this one section.”
One mile, in the area known as Black Top Hill east of Roseburg, presented the most serious problem and was ground down to its original surface this month. The surrounding six-mile area has started to degrade, Castle said, but can't be permanently fixed until next summer when weather conditions are favorable for a seal. For now, ODOT will continue almost weekly sweeping operations to keep the flying rock to a minimum and try to determine a cause so it may be avoided in future projects.
Meanwhile, at least 150 people have filed claims of damaged windows through the Oregon Department of Administrative Services, according to Penny Repine of ODOT's risk management division. The claims were then sent to the insurer for Copeland Sand and Gravel, the company that completed the chip seal project.
With average chip seal projects, claims of damage are usually filed in a short window of time after the rock is mixed with an oil-based substance, Castle said, but in this case the problem is with the final product. Therefore, damages have been considered to be outside the seven-day window of liability for the contractor and several claims were denied.
“Once we realized that, we (stopped) sending claims to the contractor,” Chris Hunter, assistant district manager with ODOT said. “We are dealing with that internally. We took ownership. We do have a problem and let's just take care of it.”
Castle admits this is the most trouble he has seen from a chip seal project. He said the problem area was small in comparison to ODOT's summer statewide projects. Still, he said he realized that “doesn't mean it isn't an impact for the folks that live out there.”
Helping people refile claims that have been denied has been much of his agency's focus.
“We want to get those repaired because we realize we are in the holidays and the economy is tough. Two to four hundred dollars (in repair costs) makes a huge difference in what goes in someone's stocking,” Castle said.
Repine, who can be reached at (503) 378-5032, is coordinating new claims and helping manage ones that may have been denied. Castle said anyone with a claim question should contact her, while anyone with questions about the project as a whole should contact him at 957-3656.
“There is no doubt this has been an unfortunate situation,” Repine said. “We are really sorry.”
• You can reach reporter Heather Morse at 957-4208 or by e-mail at hmorse@nrtoday.com.
Jared Castle, public affairs manager for the Oregon Department of Transportation, said the agency is still working to monitor the problem reported earlier, sweeping the roadways of rock and helping to get reimbursement for people whose vehicles have sustained damage.
“We own this problem,” Castle said of the troubled seven-mile stretch of highway. “This is a situation where we and (the contractor) are trying to figure out what happened in this one section.”
One mile, in the area known as Black Top Hill east of Roseburg, presented the most serious problem and was ground down to its original surface this month. The surrounding six-mile area has started to degrade, Castle said, but can't be permanently fixed until next summer when weather conditions are favorable for a seal. For now, ODOT will continue almost weekly sweeping operations to keep the flying rock to a minimum and try to determine a cause so it may be avoided in future projects.
Meanwhile, at least 150 people have filed claims of damaged windows through the Oregon Department of Administrative Services, according to Penny Repine of ODOT's risk management division. The claims were then sent to the insurer for Copeland Sand and Gravel, the company that completed the chip seal project.
With average chip seal projects, claims of damage are usually filed in a short window of time after the rock is mixed with an oil-based substance, Castle said, but in this case the problem is with the final product. Therefore, damages have been considered to be outside the seven-day window of liability for the contractor and several claims were denied.
“Once we realized that, we (stopped) sending claims to the contractor,” Chris Hunter, assistant district manager with ODOT said. “We are dealing with that internally. We took ownership. We do have a problem and let's just take care of it.”
Castle admits this is the most trouble he has seen from a chip seal project. He said the problem area was small in comparison to ODOT's summer statewide projects. Still, he said he realized that “doesn't mean it isn't an impact for the folks that live out there.”
Helping people refile claims that have been denied has been much of his agency's focus.
“We want to get those repaired because we realize we are in the holidays and the economy is tough. Two to four hundred dollars (in repair costs) makes a huge difference in what goes in someone's stocking,” Castle said.
Repine, who can be reached at (503) 378-5032, is coordinating new claims and helping manage ones that may have been denied. Castle said anyone with a claim question should contact her, while anyone with questions about the project as a whole should contact him at 957-3656.
“There is no doubt this has been an unfortunate situation,” Repine said. “We are really sorry.”
• You can reach reporter Heather Morse at 957-4208 or by e-mail at hmorse@nrtoday.com.
