The Town always seeks ways to save tax dollars for residents and businesses, while making life better. When it comes to the streets of Thompson, you may notice fewer bumps thanks to an innovative system we discovered a decade ago. Meet Mr. Manhole!
So, what’s a manhole? It’s an access point to the Town’s sewer and water system often located within a roadway. As with all things involving concrete and asphalt, the material surrounding the manhole – along with the manhole itself – requires occasional repair. That’s where Mr. Manhole comes in.
We’ve teamed up with Mr. Manhole to use a system for repairing manholes at about a FIFTH of the cost of traditional repair. Before Mr.Manhole, it cost about $4,000-$5,000 to repair a manhole. Now, it’s often less than $1,000. Repairs are faster and the manhole covering lasts much longer.
Best of all, the Mr. Manhole system results in a super smooth drive as the manhole cover is now flush with the road…no more dips and bumps! How does it work? The main difference is a round shape – not a traditional square shape – for the “chimney” (the underground area around the manhole pipe).
The round shape is more resistant to damage as the surrounding ground expands and retracts due to freezing. In fact, the life cycle of a Mr. Manhole is about 20 years. The stronger chimney also prevents costly and disruptive sewer drainage and overflow issues.
To date, the Town has installed nearly 300 Mr. Manhole systems – saving about $1.2 million in manhole repair costs! About 20-30 manholes are repaired each year using this amazing system.