State engineer backed pavement repair after Woodstock water-main break; board hears explanation

A town representative identified in the meeting as Mister Welch briefed the Woodstock Select Board on repairs following a winter water-main break on Main Street, saying the town coordinated with the state engineer and brought in a paving crew to install a hot pavement patch rather than a temporary cold patch.

“Mister Welch” told the board the state engineer and a paving contractor advised against cold patch because cold material tends to push out under traffic and requires frequent rework. Welch reported the town chose hot mix pavement so the repair would hold through winter traffic and not damage plow equipment. He said crews will return in spring to cut and replace pavement from “curve to curve,” a state requirement, and to blend the patch with the existing roadway.

Welch described the repair as a larger patch than a simple fill: the town expects a roughly 50-foot blended patch that may not require replacing the full historical pavement depth the state sometimes requires (he referenced “up to 8, 10 inches of pavement” but said the crew did not go that deep for this emergency patch). He said the hot-mix truck arrived ready and crews worked immediately to place the material.

Board members praised the pace of the response and noted the importance of maintaining good relations with state engineers for future permits and projects. The town representative emphasized the decision balanced durability and cost: “Cheap isn't always the best,” he said, noting that earlier, cheaper repairs elsewhere had led to repeated complaints and even vehicle damage.

Ending: The board thanked the crew and Welch for coordinating with the state and for completing a fix the town expects to be more durable than prior cold-patch repairs; a permanent cut-and-replace is planned in the spring.