FARMINGTON — A few more culvert replacements need to be done before gravel and a base coat of pavement is added to Morrison Hill Road.

“We’re taking the metal culverts out and replacing with a plastic one,” Public Works employee Ron Jalbert said Tuesday as he dug up the road with the town’s backhoe.

The metal culverts installed 20-plus years ago have rotted along the bottom, Public Works Director Denis Castonguay said.

“The new plastic ones are supposed to have a 100-year life span,” he said. “Course we won’t know if they last that long.”

During the first or second week of October, a paving crew from Bruce A. Manzer will put down a 2-inch base coat for this year. A 1-inch coat of hot top will be added next year, Castonguay said.

Prior to the paving, the town crew will add a layer of gravel atop the recycled asphalt base. 

“We’re a month behind,” Castonguay said. Heavy rainstorms with washouts on other roads this summer have lured the crew away. 

Morrison Hill Road has a good base and made it through the rains without washouts, he said.

Reconstruction of Morrison Hill Road this summer was in the town’s five-year road plan.

The plan included work on 9,000 feet of road from Route 43 to the town line, located above where the men were working.

Normally ditching along the road would be completed before the paving, but it’s getting late so they’ll ditch after the base coat is applied, Jalbert said.

A total of 8,000 feet on Voter Hill Road was completed last year. 

The work this summer has been a little easier, Jalbert said. There weren’t as many culverts to do on Morrison Hill Road.

Next year, the town plans to work on Porter Hill Road.

The road plan is available on the town website under “Future Projects” in the Public Works Department section.

abryant@sunjournal.com