May 6, 2008

Rain on Me

Carroll Andrew Morse

We interrupt this broadcast for a moment of hyper-local blegging...

Would anyone with a measure of civil engineering experience care to comment on whether the permanent shower occurring beneath the new overpass between Route 95 exits 18 and 19 is something Rhode Island drivers (or taxpayers) should be concerned about?

We now return you to your regularly scheduled program.

Comments, although monitored, are not necessarily representative of the views Anchor Rising's contributors or approved by them. We reserve the right to delete or modify comments for any reason.

HA! I was wondering exactly the same thing.

Posted by: Monique at May 6, 2008 9:26 PM

I drive through that shower ten times a day, never thought to question it's source. I'll do a thorough investigation tommorrow, keep you posted!

Posted by: michael at May 6, 2008 9:40 PM

Would that be the exact location in the turn where you get soaked in water, can't see the road, and nearly careen into the car to your left because he turned and you didn't?

Yeah. Good times.

Posted by: Greg at May 6, 2008 9:44 PM

I can't tell you the exact physics behind it, but I know it has to do with the curing of the concrete on the road surface above you- the surface has to be kept wet for a certain length of time, I think. It's been done on all the other spans of the highway- it "rained" on Allens Ave for weeks during that phase of construction.

Nothing to worry about in terms of something wrong with the construction. Just use caution going through it.

Posted by: EMT at May 6, 2008 10:00 PM

I drive under it everyday. Since the waterfall usually seems to be the heaviest in just one lane, I've learned to avoid it. Also, keep your windows up. :)

They probably haven't completely installed the drainage system for it yet, so any rain water which accumulates just tends to flow naturally to the easiest exit point.

I presume it's like everything else highway related in Rhode Island; pretend it's not a problem. It won't be a big deal until someone gets hurt or killed. What are they going to do, sue us? We don't have any more money!

Posted by: Will at May 7, 2008 12:47 AM

EMT brings up a very good point (which I should have remembered since nearly everyone in my family works with the stuff). The production and application of concrete produces heat. Water (hydration) is used during the curing process. It chemically reacts with the concrete, so it becomes harder over time as it sets.

Yea! We're not all going to die after all! :)

Posted by: Will at May 7, 2008 1:00 AM

Sounds like the mystery has been solved. I'm going to try and find out why they don't divert the overflow somewhere else.

Posted by: michael at May 7, 2008 5:32 AM

Right. Also, Michael, maybe you can ask if our vehicles are, therefore, getting a light concrete rinse every time we pass under it.

Posted by: Monique at May 7, 2008 7:42 AM

Thanx for the explanations. I'm glad to hear this is probably part of doing construction with concrete, and not part of the regular drainage scheme.

Posted by: Andrew at May 7, 2008 9:35 AM

Oh, also a minor correction -- I learned, as the result of making this post, that the proper lyric from the Who song is "Rain o're me", not "Rain on Me".

Posted by: Andrew at May 7, 2008 9:38 AM

Folks up there are pretty tight lipped about the situation, either that or they were just pissed I had the temerity to go on their job site and ask questions.

Posted by: michael at May 8, 2008 3:43 PM

... THAT'S what you did to find out, Michael??

Well, then. Sometimes no answer is an answer.

Posted by: Monique at May 9, 2008 8:19 AM

Did you mention that you were asking on behalf of a bunch of whiny bloggers? That might have helped get you the "street cred" you needed to get a straight answer.

Posted by: Andrew at May 9, 2008 10:15 AM
Post a comment









Remember personal info?

Important note: The text "http:" cannot appear anywhere in your comment.