BRIDGEWATER TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- It's a bumpy ride for drivers in part of Susquehanna County less than five years after a busy road near Montrose was newly paved.
PennDOT has found problems with the road conditions and is working with the contractor on a fix.
It's a rough go on Route 706 near Montrose lately. Cars and trucks can't seem to avoid all the potholes on a several-mile stretch that was just paved within the past five years.
Drivers aren't the only ones to notice the condition of both lanes on Route 706 this winter. PennDOT has also kept a close eye on the crumbling section.
PennDOT is negotiating a fix with the contractor, according to spokesman James May who says part of the job didn't pass inspection back in 2014, and PennDOT didn't pay nearly $100,000 for the work. May says even the asphalt plant used for the project is no longer in operation.
"The road is deteriorating more quickly than we like," May explained. "There were portions we had some questions with at the time, and that's why we're still in negotiations with the contractor."
According to Leeward Construction, the company that completed the project on Route 706 near Montrose in 2014, heavy truck traffic has led to the deterioration. Leeward plans to come back in this summer, rip up the road, repave it, but says it won't do it for free.
Denny O'Reilly runs Timberline Lawn and RV right along Route 706 and wasn't surprised one bit that the road started to deteriorate so soon.
"You drive not even a half mile down the road and it's already falling apart," O'Reilly said.
O'Reilly expects business will take a hit when paving work starts again here sometime later this year.