The barrell project

[jim]

In Illinois, there is an annual road project that takes place that I don't understand. Maybe someone can enlighten me.

What happens is the IDOT workers place barrells in a lane for miles and miles and miles. On I90 around Rockford, it stretches for about 20 miles. Sometimes, they will place a Bobcat or some other piece of machinery, but best I can tell it's just there for the weight of the machine. I've seen them literally in the exact same spot for weeks without moving, so I guess it's just putting pressure on some part of the road to get it to last longer. Maybe the barrells are designed to just keep the road in place, and sometimes you need something stronger like a Bobcat?

Anyway, it sure screws traffic up. Then you have the 45 mph construction zone speed limit, which I'm not sure I understand because if I hit a barrell I really don't think much is going to come of it.

All summer long we have them. I never actually see anyone put the barrells out, I'm guessing little barrell gremlins come out in the middle of the night and place them. In fact, I think IDOT is employed by nothing but invisible gremlins, who apparently aren't hurt if you hit them at 45mph. Maybe there are these invisible gremlins working with the barrells?

Just wondering if other states have this type of project.

[ghostrunner]

That was a nice little piece of satire Jim. In the tradition of... well I don't know, but in the tradition of someone good I can't think of.

I think every city does it. Indianapolis had a stretch of road north of downtown that had barrels up for a year and a half. I don't think work actually began until the first year was up. In the meantime they sure wrote a lot of speeding tickets, including to me - uncontestable since they were in a work zone. I wanted to make some smart remark asking where the actual work was, but I held my tongue.

[Hudler]

They may be working at night because of the heat. MODOT does that sometimes.

Or they just like pissing people off.

[mikechamp]

I believe I have a serious answer for you, though I'm not 100% on this:

The company that wins the bid gets 50% of the money when they start construction and 50% at completion.

Well, they only employ so many people, and those people are working on other roads, but to get the money, they put barrels out there. Then, they simply work through their schedule or road projects.

That's why these contracts often include performance clauses like, if the road is completed X days before a set date, the company gets more money. If they finish X days after a set date, they lose money.

[jim]

That makes some sense mike. I don't think they are working at night, because there is no evidence that anything is being done. The road looks fine - just 20 miles of barrells. I swear they park a Bobcat every 5 miles or so for looks.

Frustrating as heck, traffic backed up for miles because of barrells.

[Leroy]