PAVE PLEA
‘Can’t go anywhere,’ cries driver who came home to find driveway replaced with hole – he’s stuck for ‘at least a week’
The homeowner also alleged construction crews left behind a cleanup job that added insult to injury
A HOMEOWNER had to carry groceries down the street because a large hole formed at the end of his driveway, preventing him from parking at his house.
Construction crews had to dig a giant hole in front of a stretch of residential homes. Drivers are grappling with the parking inconvenience as mid-summer temperatures continue to rise.
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Clinton Diffin, a resident in Montrose, Michigan, said the hole reappeared five days ago, according to local ABC affiliate WJRT.
Crews told him to expect pavement to fill the giant gap between his home and the road in the next couple days.
But they also warned that the concrete would take time to permanently solidify.
"Obviously the period of time it takes for the concrete to cure is understandable," Diffin told the station. But the homeowner doesn't know when the pavement will be poured.
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"This is kind of ridiculous."
Construction began on the street in March to fix a water main, Diffin said.
Crews tore up the pavement lining the sides of the street in the spring and covered the gap with aggregate material.
At the end of last week, construction workers pulled out the temporary filler. Drivers reported that the gap between the road and their driveway is too deep to cross with their vehicles.
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"Pretty much you can't go anywhere unless you park down the street," Diffin said.
"It's an inconvenience to get groceries in and out of the house for a week. Now it's going to be at least another week before the concrete is cured to get in and out at the bare minimum if they pour today, which my understanding isn't going to happen."
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Diffin said he is not alone.
At least three other homes in the neighborhood have similarly large holes at the foot of their driveway.
An elderly homeowner down the street also parked far away from her home, Diffin said. He's watched her struggle back to her home in the summer heat.
"In this heat for an elderly person to do that, it's not the best way to do it," he said.
A representative for the construction crew said it was working "as diligently as possible" to finish the job in a reasonable time.
Why is it illegal to block a driveway?
Blocking a driveway is illegal in the United States due to the limiting of access to emergency care.
Aside from being inconsiderate, blocking a driveway is a serious safety hazard, cops say.
Blocking the driveway of someone's home is illegal in all 50 states, with fines and penalties varying by state.
For instance, blocking a driveway in San Francisco, California can earn a driver a hefty towing $286 fee and a $110 ticket.
That's not including the feed to retrieve the vehicle from an impound lot, which averages over $600.
In an emergency, a blocked driveway can mean the difference between life and death for a patient.
"In the United States, it is illegal to block a driveway, even your own," reads Parklio's website.
"It's a matter of public safety: emergency services like fire trucks, ambulances, or police cars need that space to get in and out.
"An obstructed driveway might also prevent vehicles from pulling out onto the road to seek emergency services."
Source: San Francisco Police Department, Parklio
However, the company couldn't provide a timetable for the construction completion.
Diffin said that he has attempted to reach out to representatives to express his concerns.
He also alleged he found pieces of trash in his yard. He believes they had been left behind by the workers.
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"The company that's been out here, I've left them a couple of messages," he told the station.
"It's a nuisance to come home and pick up somebody else's trash in your own yard and not be able to access your own property."