Need Permission

Utilities almost always use contractors for certain functions, they do not have employees on staff who break up concrete, use a ditch witch, place cable vaults, and put down asphalt. My wife and I had corporate careers totalling 68 years with a major telecom utility, a portion of her career was spent in Right of Way and Outside Plant positions. Over the years we watched our employer gradually outsource many functions, especially those involving heavy equipment which placed cable, used bucket trucks to string new primary multi-pair cable and the like. It was less expensive to contract when needed than to underutilize all those assets, including the employees.

The area in which one of our clients is located is undergoing a major renovation by the company which provides natural gas. There have been safety issues elsewhere in the city. Much of the digging is finished, there are holes in the streets, concrete driveways, and other hardscape on the property. Asphalt patches are everywhere up and down the street. And landscape damage. Someone commented the asphalt patches look like Lucy and Ethel put them down after stomping the grapes or the vitametavegamin commercial. They do, but the work is not finished. Those patches are temporary.

The contractor is not going to send out a concrete truck to patch a 4'x4' hole. Not cost effective. He will wait until he has a full concrete truckload of 4'x4' holes to patch. He will then dispatch crews to dig out the asphalt, set forms, place the rebar, then the truck will show up. This will take place up and down the street until all the holes have been repaired with new concrete.

How long? Probably not months but certainly up to several weeks before all is finished. You should have been given a door hanger when the project began, or perhaps small signs were placed in yards. Call the telephone number on either and ask your questions.

I don't see anyone from Ft. Lee, NJ here.