By Adam Pincus
Workers began Nov. 15 smoothing out the graceful ridges, known as 'hummocks' that are brutal to the aging undercarriage of vehicles traveling at 60 mph. Nearly all the bumps are caused by water seeping into the joints in the concrete beneath the asphalt covering the roadway leading to corrosion, state Department of Transportation spokesman Adam Levine said. The crumbling concrete is greater in volume and pushes up the asphalt above it, forming a consistent hump known as a “hummock” across the width of the roadway, he said. At least one hummock was caused not by water but by shoddy work.”Someone put in electrical cabeling and didn't repair according to our specs,” he said. The overnight repair consists of grinding down the raised concrete and relaying fresh asphalt, he said. There are about 40 locations being repaired using the estimated $100,000, with about three weeks of work still to go, Levine said. “We have been fortunate that the weather was good,” Levine said, but cold weather could halt the work until the spring.Reach reporter Adam Pincus by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 154.
