LEBANON — A paving project on Miracle Mile will have to restart after a contractor applied the wrong asphalt to the road.
City officials called for the use of “virgin asphalt” to pave the roughly 1¼-mile stretch of Route 4.
“The products applied had a percentage of recycled asphalt pavement that we specifically did not allow because we wanted the best quality pavement possible,” Lebanon City Engineer Rodrick Finley said in a telephone interview. “It appeared to be an oversight. Somehow there was a mishap and the wrong product was manufactured.”
The error was discovered after paving work began during the night of July 9-10.
A message left for the project’s lead contractor, United Construction Corporation in Newport, was not returned by deadline.
“They worked one night and discovered it,” Finley said.
The problem will not cost the city any more money (since the contractor will cover the cost) and the project is still on track to be completed before its expected completion date of Sept. 13.
The work was originally scheduled to be completed in mid-July, two months ahead of schedule, Finley said.
“I would hope we could finish it by mid-August, but that’s tentative,” he added.
“Everything that is paved right now will be milled and will have to be repaved,” Finley said.
The first part of the remedy is to remove the unwanted asphalt.
Finley said he requested “virgin asphalt” because 14,000 cars travel the Miracle Mile each day.
“It’s a better product,” he added. “It will be beautiful when we’re done.”
All paving is scheduled to take place at night from 6:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. New dates for the three nights of paving are yet to be determined.
“We’re going to get back to it as soon as we can,” Finley said.
The $4.3 million Miracle Mile project is being funded entirely by the city and its taxpayers. The first part was done last summer and involved digging trenches to replace a water main. This summer, plans called for paving the section that was dug up last summer.
The islands in the middle of Miracle Mile were rebuilt with red brick and the crosswalks were renovated. The sidewalk from Price Chopper to the intersection with Poverty Lane was also widened.
(While Route 4 is a state highway, it is part of Lebanon’s urban compact district, which refers to when a municipality takes over maintenance of a portion of a state-owned road.)
It’s been a long year for businesses along Miracle Mile as they and their customers have had to deal with delays due to construction.
“Great,” Entertainment Cinemas general manager Michael Eastman responded when told of the pavement error, in a tone that clearly indicated that was not the case. “The water problem was very bad.”
The difficulties have continued this summer as the work progressed. While business has not slowed, it has created challenges for customers.
“People get stuck in traffic and can’t see their movies on time,” Eastman said in an interview at the theater. Sometimes staff arrive late after encountering closed lanes. “It doesn’t affect us at night. It’s during the day when people come in and out of here.”
Across the street at Listen’s Lebanon thrift store, store manager Irene Marois said sales have not been reduced because of the construction.
“It hasn’t really affected the business or what we do here for the community,” Marois said in an interview at the thrift store.
Earlier this year, one of the store’s entrances was blocked for a short period, initially confusing customers. Staff have also heard from customers that the road was full of potholes.
“I was told it was going to be a lot worse, but it’s not,” Marois said. “We will get through this. We’re all in this together.”
Liz Sauchelli can be reached at [email protected] or 603-727-3221.
