Port Royal orders contractor to remove ‘largest speed bumps I’ve ever seen’
Several new speed bumps recently installed in the streets of Port Royal turned out to be too tall, with the jacked up traffic slowing devices spurring complaints and even reports of damage to a few vehicles.
It turns out a contractor installed several of them a few inches too high, which was an obstacle for some vehicles with low carriages.
“Largest speed bumps I’ve ever seen!” Brooke P. of the Mossy Oaks/Riverside described the speed bumps in a post on the social media site NextDoor.
The town installed 28 asphalt speed bumps in several areas and plans to install more in the future. It’s a safety project. The speed bumps slow down drivers in the town’s neighborhoods where pedestrians and motor vehicles often share the streets posted with 15 mph speed limits.
But seven or eight were built 7 to 8 inches high — instead of 4 inches — which was a jarring surprise to some motorists.
“These new speed bumps are at a new level — literally!” Robin Dudley said on Facebook.
All of the incorrectly installed bumps have been replaced, Town Manager Van Willis said.
“They were taller than the specs so the contractor agreed to replace the ones that were not to spec and build them correctly,” Willis said.
Willis said he did not know what the cost of the repairs would be but said contractor Blythe Construction and subcontractor Atlantic Asphalt are covering the expense.
The town received a few reports of vehicles being damaged as they ascended and descended the unusually tall slopes, Willis said. But it’s not clear how fast they were traveling at the time, Willis said, adding those driving the 15 mph limit should not have had any issues.
The town and Blythe will be involved in reviewing those vehicle damage reports on a case-by-case basis, Willis said.
On Friday morning, the aroma of freshly applied asphalt was in the air along London Avenue where one of the speed bumps had been lowered. Two orange cones alerted motorists.
The mistakes were discovered by a construction inspector with an engineering firm hired by the town to oversee the work, Willis said. “He came in and realized the errors made and he said, ‘These have to be replaced.’”
While the errant speed bumps prompted complaints, Willis said the public’s response to the town installing the traffic-slowing devices has generally been positive.
“We’ve had far more people pleased with the speed bumps then we’ve had people upset, particularly people who live in the town,” Willis said. “If anything, we’ve had more requests for speed bumps.”
This story was originally published June 9, 2025 at 7:00 AM.
