Paving repair hits pothole in Corner Brook

A paving company in Corner Brook, N.L, stung by criticism over delays in roadwork repair, has gone public with a complaint of its own.

Humber Valley Paving bought a half-page ad in the local weekend paper to tellthe public thatthe city was to blame for thedelays in fixing the roads.

The company was contracted by the city of Corner Brook to fix large ruts and potholes that had developed on recently paved roads because of faulty asphalt. After hearing complaints from residents about the problem and the delays getting it fixed, Humber Valley Paving took out the ad, saying it was unable to begin the work because the city had yet to provide a new asphalt formula, which it needed before it could begin the repair.

Mike Dolter, chief administrative officer with the city, said the company was well within its rights to take out an ad in the paper, criticizing the city.

"I guess that's a democracy, they have a chance to make sure that people from their perspective understand where they are coming from," Dolter said.

Dolter said he thinks paving should have started a lot sooner as well, butthat the city has to be sure about the asphalt formula, so they don't make the same mistake again. He said engineers have been taking extra time to come up with the right mixture.

"We're trying to get to a long-term solution, the testing is required," Dolter said. "What has been done in the past few years hasn't been acceptable, but we're trying to find something that is acceptable and will work for the long term."

Another asphalt mixture is being tested, and this time, engineers think they've got it right.

The contractors expect to be paving by next week.