PAWTUCKET, R.I. -

About a mile of new pavement on Broadway in Pawtucket is coming under some scrutiny by at least one resident.

The old pavement blends into new pavement at the corner of East Street and Broadway. Cars and truck traveled smoothly over this busy stretch of road Friday, but at least one man said the paving work was poorly done.

"I think any homeowner would be upset if it was their own driveway," Ted Lewandowski said.

NBC 10 took his concern to the Pawtucket Department of Public Works, which has been watching the stretch of road since it was paved in November.

"What we've seen out there is minor in nature and nothing that wasn't expected," said Lance Hill of the Pawtucket DPW.

But not good enough, said Lewandowski.

"It was paved in three sections. So what's happening is, it's cracking where the vehicle traffic is going. So, the cars are actually going over the cracks and trucks, obviously, and it's a federal highway," Lewandowski said.

The seams from the three paving lanes are visible. The DPW said that is normal on roads of this width. The city got started on this paving project unusually late in the year, but it said it's coming along just fine.

"We'll come back through after we do some painting on it, do a final inspection, do some crack sealing, and it will be ready to go," Hill said.

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Resident unhappy with Pawtucket's paving job - News, Weather and Classifieds for Southern New England

Published: Saturday, March 22, 2014, 6:12p.m. Updated 17 hours ago

Winter finally has faded into spring technically, at least but the unrelenting cold of the past few months has left scars on many driveways and other outdoor hard surfaces.

If cracks and uneven surfaces are visible, don't expect the problem to go away.

If you see something now, it will never get better, said Peter Morelli of Bruno Morelli Concrete in Gibsonia.

T. Carter Ross, a spokesman for the National Asphalt Pavement Association, agreed, noting that the secret to dealing with asphalt and concrete problems is maintenance.

Hints of problems a small crack, an area in the driveway that holds water instead of letting it drain into dirt around it can be corrected, pavement contractors say.

Ryan Longaway of Asturi Contracting in Monroeville said those issues can sometimes be addressed with French drains, which are less-expensive solution than ripping up all or sections of driveways.

Driveways with small cracks can be patched and sealed, said Tim Breyer from T&H Paving in Greensburg. But larger cracks have made a route into the substrata below. The crack is a place where the freeze-thaw cycle can lead to more damage.

You can only go so far with sealing, he said. If it looks good, sealing is fine, but you might need to do more work.

Morelli said a critical issue in concrete installation is the proper use of reinforcement bars better known as rebar and wire mesh under the concrete. The bars hold slabs together while the mesh helps to provide an even surface below them.

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Maintenance the secret to dealing with asphalt, concrete problems, contractors say

The state has yanked a New Britain contractor's license for overcharging five customers, including an elderly woman, more than $30,000 for shoddy, incomplete or unwanted driveway paving and for lying on his license application, authorities say.

The state Department of Consumer Protection said Thursday it revoked the home-improvement registration for Brian S. Curylo, doing business as Hot Top Paving.

The agency also said it ordered Curylo to repay the five customers the $30,990 he defrauded from them, plus $5,750 more in civil penalties.

According to state investigators, the action stemmed from numerous complaints the agency received beginning last March about paving jobs that were unfinished, overpriced or of inferior quality. In one case, Hot Top workers even began excavating an existing driveway despite being told immediately beforehand that no driveway work was wanted at that time, investigators said.

The agency said it investigated and last October leveled an administrative complaint against Curylo, charging him violating the state's home-improvement and unfair trade practices statutes.

In a separate case, Curylo charged a 68-year-old woman $6,450 for an inferior paving job on her driveway, then returned uninvited over three more days in less than two weeks to do more work on the same driveway, the state said. He then handed her three more bills, which she immediately paid.

In all, he billed the woman $21,050 for work that a different contractor later had to be called in to do the job right for less than $4,000, the state said.

Investigators found other complaints against Curylo for not completing work for which he was contracted and paid for, nor did he respond to his customers' requests for a refund.

The state also said it discovered Curylo lied on his home-improvement contractor's license about a 2004 felony conviction for third-degree larceny. That alone was grounds to revoke his license, the state said.

Curylo couldn't be located Thursday for comment. A message on Hot Top's phone line wasn't immediately returned.

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CT steamrolls N. Britain paving contractor

Ivor Souter, 66, came home to find markings outside his bungalow The passenger pick-up point now sits squarely at front of his home And buses arrive at the stop every three minutes Mr Souter, from Sheffield, South Yorks, said: 'It's absolutely barmy'

By Leon Watson

PUBLISHED: 11:02 EST, 20 March 2014 | UPDATED: 11:10 EST, 20 March 2014

A pensioner says he is a prisoner in his own home after a busy bus stop was placed at the end of his drive.

Retired caretaker Ivor Souter, 66, came home one day to find the yellow bus stop markings outside his bungalow.

Mr Souter, of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, says local services now regularly pull up in front of his driveway - every three minutes.

Retired caretaker Ivor Souter came home from a hospital visit to find the entrance to his home had been turned into a bus stop

The markings take in the entire entrance to Mr Souter's bungalow, making him a prisoner in his own home

It also means the passenger pick-up point now sits squarely at front of Mr Souter's home.

He said he was stunned to discover his local council had extended an existing bus stop to outside his drive.

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Pensioner is 'a prisoner in his own home' after council install bus stop right in front of his driveway

BLACK LICK A neighborly experiment has been called off in Burrell Township.

As a courtesy to the Sheetz convenience store that opened in late 2012 along Route 22, the Burrell Township board of supervisors agreed to take down the 10-ton weight limit signs on Lintner Road beside the store.

It was only meant to allow big trucks to turn off the highway at Lintner and use the driveway opposite the busier entrance from Corporate Campus Drive onto the Sheetz property.

Its not working, Supervisor Anthony Distefano said Wednesday.

Trucks have run over curbs, damaged the berm of the road and repeatedly hit a telephone pole at the corner there, said Larry Henry, chairman of the supervisors.

Distefano and Henry voted to put the weight limit signs back up and to ask the state Department of Transportation to post signs along Route 22 to advise drivers of the restriction on Lintner Road.

The limit would be enforced by state police, Henry said.

Henry and Distefano unanimously approved all items of business to come before them at their monthly business meeting. Supervisor John Shields was absent from the meeting.

In other action, the board:

Awarded road maintenance supply contracts, based on bids opened and tabled at a special meeting March 13.

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BURRELL TOWNSHIP: Weight limit signs to be reinstalled

Lanes on the Cortez Road drawbridge in Manatee County will be intermittently closed from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. during maintenance this week.

Drivers in Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties are advised to use caution in the following areas where the Florida Department of Transportation says road construction or other projects are underway:

SARASOTA COUNTY

Interstate 75 from Sumter Boulevard in North Port to River Road. Crews widening the highway to six lanes. Expect lane closures from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

I-75 at mile marker 174. Southbound inside lane closed from 9 p.m. Thursday to 2 a.m. Friday during maintenance.

I-75 from University Parkway to the Charlotte County line. Expect delays. Crews are installing closed-circuit cameras, roadside sensors and other equipment for an intelligent transportation system.

I-75 overpass at Jacaranda Boulevard. Crews painting the overpass. Overnight, single Lane closures on Jacaranda.

I-75 at Fruitville Road, Laurel Road, Jacaranda Road and Sumter Boulevard. Crews replacing overhead signs. Lane closures between 10:30 p.m. and 6 a.m.

I-75 at Jacaranda Boulevard and Laurel Road. Crews installing lights. No lane closures expected.

U.S. 41 between Shamrock Boulevard and the Lowes entrance in Venice. Southbound outside lane closed from 9 p.m. today to 5 a.m. Tuesday while crews construct a new driveway.

Link:
TRAFFIC ADVISORY: Watch for closed lanes this week

Driveway, Parking Lot, Business or Home. We do Asphalt! Asphalt Seal Coat Specialists. Tampa FL
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By: zenithcityvideos

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Driveway, Parking Lot, Business or Home. We do Asphalt! Asphalt & Seal Coat Specialists. Tampa FL - Video

Forest Hills has become Deforest Hills, a man shoveling snow remarks about the community hes lived in for years. Pointing to his windows, the man says they remain constantly shut. Trees that used to absorb exhaust fumes along the road have been largely cut down, in apparent violation of city laws requiring greenery.

Despite his concern of the lack of trees, the man says he doesnt complain to the Department of Buildings over the violations and chooses to remain anonymous when voicing his opinion.

Honestly Im not looking into getting into anyones kitchen; I wouldnt want them to get into mine, he said.

For community activists throughout Queens who feel that yard violations are becoming a creeping concern to their communities, getting into someones yard (as in their business) at least, is the only way to curb violations.

Whos Violating What?

Enforcement seems to be the bottleneck, said Alex Blenkinsopp of the Woodhaven Residents Block Association about the slow response he says the city has on checking in on the violations.

For Blenkinsopp, implementing yard laws requiring greenery has been an ongoing struggle since the Yards Text Amendments was passed in 2008. Propelled by elected officials such as then-Councilman and now state Sen. Tony Avella (D-Whitestone), who were concerned about the quality of life and the stress to the environment in low-density neighborhoods, the laws restrict what a homeowner could do to his or her outside property.

Prior to the code changes, front yards were not required to be planted but with them, a certain percentage of greenery had to be planted based on square footage, with 20 percent for a yard less than 20 square feet and 50 percent for a yard 60 square feet or greater. The laws also addressed limiting the number of parking spaces, curb cuts and fence height.

Despite Blenkinsopp submitting several complaints to the DOB, which would issue the violations, he says their response is slow and not thorough enough.

One of his grievances over an allegedly illegal curb cut and driveway was dismissed altogether since at the time of inspection, they couldnt locate the illegal driveway, even though the resident had put a sign on his fence demanding that people not block his driveway, he said.

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The problem with paving over lawns

There are a number of significant benefits to paving a driveway, including better parking, greater curb appeal and the ability to keep the exterior of the home in tip top shape. Paving an asphalt driveway is well within the skill set of most homeowners, but it is important to do plenty of research and determine what is needed to complete the job.

Perhaps the most important part of paving an asphalt driveway takes place before the first asphalt is poured. It is important to lay down a good gravel base in order to have a well functioning driveway. A gravel base between 2 and 8 inches thick is sufficient for most jobs. A base that is either too thin or too thick will produce an inferior driveway, so pay careful attention to the base.

Asphalt itself is a mixture of aggregate, and it contains stones, sand and liquid asphalt cement. This cement is a petroleum product that is heated to the point where it becomes a liquid. This liquid cement and aggregate mixture is poured over the top of the gravel base to create the driveway.

Asphalt will produce a thick, black driveway which absorbs heat in the winter, helping to melt any new snow or ice that falls on the surface. This type of driveway is also quite durable, suffering from a minimal amount of crack damage. Even so, asphalt driveways may not be as durable in colder climates where the ground freezes below the surface.

In order to help alleviate some of the weather damage experienced by asphalt driveway owners, paving companies and construction firms have experimented with the water composition of asphalt in order to achieve more cold resistant varieties. This more weather resistant asphalt driveway is sometimes called a chip seal, and it is made with asphalt in which 30 percent of the liquid cement in regular asphalt has been replaced with water. When the asphalt is laid down, the heat of the asphalt causes the water within the mixture to evaporate, resulting in a more weather resistant finish.

After the water has evaporated from the asphalt driveway, a layer of crushed gravel is then sprayed on top of the asphalt. A special spreader is used to scatter the small pieces of gravel over the newly poured asphalt, and a drum roller is then used to pack down the sprayed-on gravel.

Since the asphalt is still warm, it will hold onto the sprayed pieces of gravel, adding texture to the finished driveway. This is known in the industry as a "chip seal" driveway, and it is becoming increasingly popular.

Learn how to Repair and Reseal Your Driveway >

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Tips for Paving an Asphalt Driveway | DoItYourself.com

March 12, 2014 EKU to host NCAA selection party Sunday evening At EKU Center for the Arts

Anonymous Special to the Register The Richmond Register Wed Mar 12, 2014, 02:50 PM EDT

RICHMOND

Eastern Kentucky University is inviting fans to join the 2014 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament champion mens basketball team for an NCAA Selection Show Party on Sunday.

The event will take place in the EKU Center for the Arts, across the Eastern Bypass from Alumni Coliseum. Doors will open at 4:30 p.m., and the selection show begins at 6 p.m. A free concert by Sundy Best will follow at 7 p.m.

Free T-shirts, provided by Raising Canes, will be provided to the first 2,500 fans in attendance. Fans will have an opportunity to take a picture with the OVC Championship trophy and wear the official OVC Championship net while the 2014 OVC Championship highlight video plays on the big screen.

The team will be introduced and head coach Jeff Neubauer will speak to the crowd.

Complimentary snacks and beverages will be available.

The Colonels (24-9) defeated No. 1 seed Belmont, 79-73, on Saturday in Nashville to win the OVC Tournament and earn the leagues automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

http://www.EKUSports.com

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EKU to host NCAA selection party Sunday evening