Tar Tar For Now There must be some cash still swilling around in the Scottish Borders Roads' budget for FY 2007/8 as there is a sudden rush of pothole filling going on in these here parts. Quite often the budget for repairs is exhausted by July -or so we used to be told when we wanted a quick repair job done. But now road gangs (not usually chained together) are out and about. To my eye the technique seems Third World-or perhaps not quite as advanced. Take one small lorry. Add a couple of blokes. Issue them with small buckets full of steaming tar. Ask them to fill in all available potholes, crumbled edges and other impurities within, say, fifty yards (having thoughtfully partially blocked the carriageway with an arrangement of barrels and old planks. Traffic lights optional.
Once holes filled, add loose sand and chippings- watch for a bit-its more interesting than paint drying, go off for dinner. This is not always hazard free. I noticed yesterday having just driven past a TOA (Tarring Operation Area) the lorry reversing away from the barrel/plank protection barrier straight into two large tar filled potholes scooping out the contents. Back to the pails but after dinner wll do.
Third World methodology, First World weather. Hand filled pot holes in tropical Zambia dry and sort of seal in a couple of hours. In the damp cold Merse they are as liquid at 5pm as they were at 11am. Lads off for tea and end of the working day. Up with the planks and the barrels. The open road is open again.
First tractor along b******S up the lot.
Mind you if you rolled them?
Labels: Roads, Scottish Borders
