Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
In over 10 years that I've been living in NJ, traveling to other states often revealed to me the often poor quality of road construction in NJ. I am not talking about potholes or aging roads -- I am talking about freshly reconstructed/repaved roads.
My pet peeve has always been the manholes that never seem to be flush with the pavement. Worse yet are manholes that use recessed covers. Then there are the bridges which are not flush with the pavement, resulting in a thud whenever you enter or exit the bridge, and that's not even mentioning the joints within the bridge itself.
Recently, the Rt 1 bridge crossing the Delaware River in Trenton has been reconstructed. That's great because the old bridge just about had it. All would be well, but the new concrete of the bridge deck is terribly uneven, making the car bounce all over the place. That's just one example. Rt 1 reconstruction in West Windsor, NJ, has been subpar and only lasted a year before redeveloping the same potholes. Reconstruction on I-95 (toll free) from the Delaware River bridge up to I-295 has started to show signs of aging in Lawrence Township only about a year since project completion.
I speak of mostly central NJ here, but these are local examples which have resounding echos all over the state, in my experience.
I drive to other states a lot, not just immediate neighbors, and I don't seem to run into the same kind of road work pitfalls quite as much in other states (save for, perhaps, NY). Has anyone else noticed this? What gives? Surely NJ contractors can't be all bad, so do the state and some municipalities use substantard contractors? To save money or due to corruption?
In over 10 years that I've been living in NJ, traveling to other states often revealed to me the often poor quality of road construction in NJ. I am not talking about potholes or aging roads -- I am talking about freshly reconstructed/repaved roads.
My pet peeve has always been the manholes that never seem to be flush with the pavement. Worse yet are manholes that use recessed covers. Then there are the bridges which are not flush with the pavement, resulting in a thud whenever you enter or exit the bridge, and that's not even mentioning the joints within the bridge itself.
Recently, the Rt 1 bridge crossing the Delaware River in Trenton has been reconstructed. That's great because the old bridge just about had it. All would be well, but the new concrete of the bridge deck is terribly uneven, making the car bounce all over the place. That's just one example. Rt 1 reconstruction in West Windsor, NJ, has been subpar and only lasted a year before redeveloping the same potholes. Reconstruction on I-95 (toll free) from the Delaware River bridge up to I-295 has started to show signs of aging in Lawrence Township only about a year since project completion.
I speak of mostly central NJ here, but these are local examples which have resounding echos all over the state, in my experience.
I drive to other states a lot, not just immediate neighbors, and I don't seem to run into the same kind of road work pitfalls quite as much in other states (save for, perhaps, NY). Has anyone else noticed this? What gives? Surely NJ contractors can't be all bad, so do the state and some municipalities use substantard contractors? To save money or due to corruption?
I can't really comment on the manhole thing, but bridge joints tend be uneven because the bridges move-that's the point of the joints. They expand in the heat, contract in the cold, and sway with the wind. Depending on the weather conditions the joints may be more or less uneven.
I can't really comment on the manhole thing, but bridge joints tend be uneven because the bridges move-that's the point of the joints. They expand in the heat, contract in the cold, and sway with the wind. Depending on the weather conditions the joints may be more or less uneven.
I wasn't talking about bridge joints themselves; I was talking about transition from road pavement to concrete bridge deck. There's no bridge joint at that point.
Do NJ State and municipalities hire substandard contractors for road work?
By law all State or Govt, contracts have to go to the lowest bid by a "qualified "Contractor.
So the next time you see a road coming apart or a bridge about to fall down you know that it was built by the lowest bidder.
i believe this is deceptive because there are wage minimums that are mandated by certain laws depending on where the funding comes from. so the lowest bidder is still probably significantly more expensive (and not any better) than someone who does private work and doesnt have to meet the same wage restrictions.
i believe this is deceptive because there are wage minimums that are mandated by certain laws depending on where the funding comes from. so the lowest bidder is still probably significantly more expensive (and not any better) than someone who does private work and doesnt have to meet the same wage restrictions.
You are correct and all state/public jobs are done "prevailing rate" ,which means all contractors have to pay Union Scale to their workers.
To be a "qualified" contractor is just a matter of paperwork and a good work history.
There will always be contractors who bid low to get the jobs and then find ways to cut their expenses. It is not unheard of for contractors to entice inspectors to overlook things.
I spent 40 years in the construction industry in NJ and they're are plenty of honest contractors who do quality work for the state but they're also a few who will pay to insure their low bid projects turn a nice profit.
Non union contractors doing prevailing rate jobs are where "adjusting" the specs. comes into place.
So you're suggesting that taxpayers finance projects by the highest bidder? I should go into the construction business
I can guarantee when a bidder is substantially lower than the others you will get inferior work.
This applies to all contractors.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
