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Windshield Buster: FDOT To Launch Investigation Into Hwy 29 Pavement
February 1, 2011
Sometimes Escambia County Sheriff’s deputies hand out three or four accident report forms a day to Highway 29 drivers with busted windshields. Some area residents are on windshield number two or three since “the rocks” began to appear over a year ago on Highway 29 from Pine Barren Creek to Century.
Now, the Florida Department of Transportation is taking notice.
Beginning Wednesday, weather permitting, a Florida Department of Transportation Geotechnical Foundation Investigation crew will perform pavement tests on Highway 29 from Pine Barren Creek north to the Alabama state line.
According to FDOT, north and southbound motorists can expect intermittent lane restrictions between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m.
The test results will be used to determine what, if any, correction action FDOT will take along the 15.5 miles of roadway.
Comments
49 Responses to “Windshield Buster: FDOT To Launch Investigation Into Hwy 29 Pavement”
I dont care who did what ,but the crew that did hwy 97 is a bunch of NON ROAD PAVING CLOWNS ,,There is no telling how much money was wasted on that project they paved the North end 4 times and every time put it down in layers and painted lines ,then a week later guess what they do it again ,
REGARDING:
“Can someone in the DOT just say oops, and start the work to fix this. That would be a start”
Knowing why it failed so it won’t be built to fail again IS a start.
We guess as to why it failed, but we may be wrong. Thus, our solutions wouldn’t fix the problem but identifying the real problem WOULD allow them to fix the problem.
David for flawless engineering and construction
and long-lasting roads
for ur info ( name require ) Anderson Columbia paved that portion of road. And Anderson Columbia did the newest portion from ATMORE Hwy ( hwy97 ) to the saw mill.. Panhandle grading and Paving did Cantonment to Atmore Hwy (hwy 97).. And also they did Atmore Hwy (hwy 97 ).. NOW BEFORE YOU START RUNNING YOUR MOUTH GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT..!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What is our representatives name, Kevin Dolittle, or maybe Donothing. Where is his involvement, I can’t get a response! Anybody else have any luck?
When they paved this road a few years ago, they put down a pretty think rock base to help with drainage I think was their reasoning. But the pavement over he top is now wearing thin from traffic, and now the rock wars start. The base was rather large rock as I remember. Can someone in the DOT just say oops, and start the work to fix this. That would be a start.
Over several years, I have had to have my windsheild replaced. I have one now that must be replaced. However, my Florida insurance has always paid 100% and my insurance never increased because of this type of claim.
someone recently told me that one per year is the limit for insurance to replace at no deductible, but I am don’t really know if that is correct or not.
As for as the Alabama comment, Florida residents work in Alabama. Where a person lives or works should not be the issue. All residents cross state lines, are we be charged for this?
I was just traveling back to my parents house from Century to Bogia and while I was driving a car past me and the next thing I heard was like a balloon popped in the back seat where my 2 yr. old son was sitting and I pulled over to discover that my rear quarter window was busted…Now I’m trying to figure out how I’m going to afford to fix it. I think this is ridiculous and it could have injured my son if it would have shattered onto him. FDOT needs to fix this problem asap!
One way we could have more revenue is to make all the alabama cars
that use our roads every single day to come to work our jobs here in
pensacola buy a license plate HERE in Florida.
DUH!
Maybe our new FL governor can ask Barry Soetoro, opps, I mean Obama for some bailout money to fix 29 with. Or better yet, have Robbert Gibbs fix the highway
REGARDING:
“see for themselves what the road looks like on the shoulders(where it is really bad).”
I can’t swear to it–in part because I don’t swear, of course–but suspect what you are seeing on the shoulders is the gravel they swept off the road. There’s a sizable amount. It’s safer there than under the treads of your tires.
David glad she wasn’t cited
as she checked the sights of the road site
REGARDING:
“If we had some businesses/industry in here, we would have enough tax revenue to have better roads”
The road work was paid for by the state.
The state was not hurting for money at time of the road work in question.
Therefore, that’s not the cause of the problem.
Mind you, I’m not disagreeing with you on the idea of being better off if we had more businesses and/or industries, just don’t think it’s to blame here.
David for good roads
Luckily I was not sited for a busted windshiled but was given a warning to get it fixed.Sure dont want to file a claim on 2 busted windshields in one year…..I run the road periodically and I see where the pavement has broken up into clumps of rocks.Tons and tons of them.Maybe DOT needs to take a walk and see for themselves what the road looks like on the shoulders(where it is really bad).
If we had some businesses/industry in here, we would have enough tax revenue to have better roads and a lot more! People who make more, pay more taxes and so does business!
Felicia,
Florida law DOES make them replace your windshield with no deductible IF you have full coverage. If you have PIP and liability only, which most people have now because they can’t afford full coverage, you are on your own. You either pay for it out of pocket or you claim it on your insurance and pay your deductible for it which is probably pretty close to the price of the replacement and then your insurance goes up because you made a claim. You’re better off just to fix it yourself.
REGARDING:
” If we want good roads that are built with good materials by experienced people who know what they are doing then we have to be willing to pay for it. Always selecting the lowest bidder on any job invites this type of shoddy work.”
Selecting the high bidder doesn’t guarantee he will do the job right. You need good specifications for a good road and good, honest, competent inspectors all along the way.
David for getting what you paid for,
not who was paid off
(not that I’m accusing anybody, just thinking)
Last year in january,we had rain then a bad freeze,the ice that was formed broke up the small rocks on the top layer of the asphalt,this is real noticeable at the intersection of 164 and 29 this should not have happend,but it did.I’ve had 3 windshilds replaced and had a talk with my insurance co. all thay say get it replaced. I did notice some road crew has taken time to brush up and blow some of the rocks off,this does no good what it needs is repaving
It’s been a few years since I lived in Florida, but I had to have a new windshield and if you have full coverage, there was NO deductable at all for windshields, it was in the Florida law or something the insurance guy said….I guess it may have changed, but you can always ask! I normally had a $400 deductable
I agree with AL. 54 could B Afun party But we would get sited last time i got a ding in my windsheild it just happend 2 b a deputy flying by 90mph no sirens no lights popped rock in my windsheild and he was going nowhere. just because he was a lawman he could go as fast as he wanted.he didn’t have to have an excuse.
Paying for decent roads requires, dare I say it, tax revenue. We have to be willing to pay for the services we want from our government. If we want good roads that are built with good materials by experienced people who know what they are doing then we have to be willing to pay for it. Always selecting the lowest bidder on any job invites this type of shoddy work. Yet, that is what we the voters demand of our elected officials. Give us the fast and the cheap. We only have two other choices here. We can pay a few more cents to get quality road construction or we can make Highway 29 a toll road and use the toll revenue to pay for a quality reconstruction. Aside from that we are doomed to driving on loose rocks and replacing windshields every year.
l drive every day Century to Pensacola, and is dangerous to go through some places in Hwy 29, because you find a 1000 rocks in the ground, and some times you feel your windshield is broken by the impact of one of those rocks . What we need to do? Somebody answer this question???, How paid for the broken windshields?, We need to wait for a big accident and after that, somebody said: the solution for that is…………..! Please we need a solution now , not when somene death!!!!
I’ve had my windshield cracked on three separate occasions this past year on 29. No point in replacing it to have it cracked again! I’ve driven (frequently) on this stretch for years and never seen it like this. I beleive it is relative to the “cold” weather, as I’ve noticed it occurring after extreme cold snaps. My guess is the asphalt was defective?
>>> harley1 wrote “The article says the FHP has ticketed many drivers for windshields on this stretch. ”
The articles does not state that anyone has been ticketed by the FHP or anyone else for windshields.
It’s frustrating when you take of your vehicle but the road is in such a condition that it damages it. Not only is my windshield chipped from traveling this section of highway 29 the paint on the front hood of my car is chipped as well. I don’t know what kind of study FDOT is planning to do but they could pay for some repairs with the money they are wasting. Hey FDOT there are rocks coming off the road damaging property, study complete!
The article says the FHP has ticketed many drivers for windshields on this stretch. Have any of you who have posted here been cited? I want to know, cause I NEVER see anybody getting stopped for anything like no headlight, (none), no tail lights, (none). It’s just unbelievable
Should’ve used concrete.
You know when bids are taken for a job the contractor goes by a set of specs that are required wether it is a piece of equipment , building or a road etc. The contractor has to fill the specifications in the contract and there are inspectors on these jobs or who recieve the goods and say this what was required. Sometimes the contract or the specs are defecient, not the product or what was purchased. If something is not in the contract or in the specs the contractor has no obligation to fill it especially if it will cost more money, thus the change order comes into effect. A lot of people want to blame a contractors job, but if they are doing what was in the contract or specs and its not up to par, well then its up to the inspector to remedy the situation or sigbn off as is, because most people do not want to admit , hey I made a mistake, or unforseen problems and I dont blame a contractor for wanting more money to do what they now deem is correct.
My vehicle is one of them. And I have a high deductable so Im having to pay out of pocket for one. I wish someone would send me the $375.00 to replace it! It’s gonna be awhile before I have the money.
Driving back and forth to work in Pensacola and in one year my windshield had twelve cracks in it. Got it replaced and a week later got two in the new one.
William,
Can you check /verify that it was Roads. Inc. who paved this?
Sure might explain all the low balling of the bids.
While they are looking they need to look at hwy 97 new resurfacing job. Today it’s raining and you can see the cracks starting to appear in the new asphalt. If it’s cracking now then what will it look like in 2-years
REGARDING:
“Could this not be due to the numerous gravel trucks coming out of Century?”
If the gravel trucks were doing it, the damage would be on the southbound lanes from when they are fully loaded, but it in all lanes. Further, if any tucks were doing it, the damage would be where their tires touched the road, but the damage is all across the lanes.
I’m still thinking the road builders may have used an emulsion of water and asphalt. That would leave small voids and weaken the cementing. Further, it would take in water when it rained and a soaked road experiencing freezing would result in gravel being popped loose. To me, that looks like what happened.
David for better matrices
Two windshields and now a couple of dings on the third.. Many phone calls and complaints to Century City folk to see if they have any input with the State and now the Road people want to do a study. JUST Great !!! Thats out tax dollars at work. Now maybe in a couple of years they will talk about resurfacing. No one cares just continue to pay our big saleries to the State Blue Collers and watch those Tax Dollars continue to go down the drain. Now that I have said all that, has anyone noticed that the asphalt recently put down between near Bogia and Cantonment is of the same quality. Its not Alphalt its just Oiled Rock. Lets see how long this is going to last before it starts coming apart too.
Just had to have one put in my BRAND NEW 2011 Jeep!!! In this EXACT location!
from molino north you can forget about getting anything from the county, state, etc. they close our schools, close our county offices, take our taxes and run. secede and set up a toll booth at the state line on 29 and at molino.
Two windshields in the past two years. I had a ding in the current one, had it sealed, and got another shortly thereafter which promptly ran and will now require replacement. I don’t think I would spend a great deal of effort on a study. Get the funds lined up and bring in the milling machine and the spreader. This is not a typical County road, this is a Federal Highway, an evacuation route and more importantly, a tourism gateway. The appearance and safety of this highway in particular should be a priority, right?
I, too, have had a busted windshield from that area. It may be rocks from the dump trucks that are up and down that road all the time. Maybe they need to make certain that any truck delivering sand, rocks, or whatever tarp the top of the truck extra good….
I know Roads Inc. did most of the hwy 29 resurface. They have consistently underbid their competitors, and no one seems to be able to explain how they do it….
Maybe FDOT will figure it out.
Ok, friends calm down!! All the roads in Escambia County Florida are the pits. Every time you talk to someone from the county they tell you the company used experimental asphalt, and there is no money to repair the roads. I wish they would just go ahead and tell me that I am stupid and it is my imagination that our road is in such bad shape. The county has money for downtown projects, but nothing for the north end. I guess we need to have a million man march (oh I am sorry, maybe hundred man) to protest the living conditions in the north end of the county. I don’t want to walk so maybe we could find a horse and buggy, or covered wagon to travel the hwy 29 from Alabama/Florida Line Start on Hwy 97 from Atmore and Hwy 29 from Century and merge at the crossroads in Molino and continue South to nine mile road, turn around and make the trip back north. This might take the whole weekend, so we could make a big party out of it and call it the “North Escambia County Hay Ride”. I do believe we could make a statement!!
I’ve had 2windshilds in my car in the last three months. We had to claim on my insurance. What do you think it’s going to do to my insurance? These gravel truck have beenusing highway 29 for year and this is the first time the road has ever done this. Can’t blame it on the gravel thruks.
I had my windshield cracked by a Escambia Road Crew truck. Tried to make the driver pull over and the County said he did not because of the prisioners in the back. I’ll pulled in the Molino Sheriff Sub Station and he would not pull in there either. And the county would not pay for the windshield. They said the tail gate is always up and material covered up on their trucks. It wasn’t that day, and I have seen more ERC trucks with tail gate down and uncovered. They are about the law anyway.
It happens down on 29 before the tom thumb too. Just after Frans.
We wondered if there were that many roacks or what. There is always
a car just to the right and 10 or 20 feet up in front of us every time it happens.
We didn’t know if the cars ahead were throwing them or where they were
coming from. it only happens when someone is passing us or when
there is car ahead of us in the other lane.
Is this ROAD PROBLEMS OR JERK PROBLEMS??????
had my windshield repaired a week ago because of that mess on 29 . got another ding yesterday.
Every year the bids get higher and the quality get less The American way
Could this not be due to the numerous gravel trucks coming out of Century?
Noticed this yesterday, every vehicle that passed me thru a rock up and hit my windshield. I was told several years ago, that the asphault used in that stretch was a new experimental type to test it. Is this true?
It’s about time. I emailed Greg Evers about this 5 months ago, to see who I needed to contact on this matter. This section of highway isn’t very old. Someone needs to be held accountable for such shoddy work. Either the asphalt was of low grade, or someone was compensated for the bid to do the work. We the taxpayers need to stand up to the government and demand better results for our tax dollars. This section of road is going to have to be repaved, and it is less than 10 years old. I wonder how long the rest of the repaving of 29 will hold up?
A study? This is just another waste of time and a stalling tactic by FDOT as it skirts the problem; the roadway needs to be resurfaced! You’ve got to love that “Welcome to Florida” sign which should say “You’re Going to Need a New Windshield, So We’re Going to Help You With That!” Come on Board of County Commissioners, City of Century and Chambers of Commerce, get onto FDOT’s back and apply some pressure to get this miserable roadway fixed right away and not two or three years from now!
My windshield has been cracked 3 different times due to rocks on Hwy 29.
I’ve replaced 4 windshields in the past year!
Be interesting to see what the study finds,hmmm loose rocks!