I purchased a house back in May and this was originally missed in the inspections. I have no idea how long it's been like this, but I've been thinking of how I can fix this as soon as I noticed.
The detached garage gets its power from this buried romex wire that is exposed to the elements. It looks like it was originally protected by some sort of non-outdoor conduit at some point. It's now rusted through and exposed. The ~~romex~~ UF insulation still seems intact, but I'd obviously like to protect this more permanently.
The wire is powering a single outlet and light that is just above where this exits the ground and enters the garage.
I was thinking I could use some correct type of caulk (something for asphalt?) in combination with some correct conduit to make this safer. I can probably disconnect it from the outlet and pull it through to install conduit piping from the top. Or find something outdoor rated that is more U-shaped that can be bonded to the back wall to also protect this.
Anyone have any ideas? I'd very much like to avoid digging this up completely. If I were to server this wire in the process, there's nothing I can do other than digging up the driveway.
Edit: thanks for all the comments everyone! I did go back to check and it is actually UF cable. I assumed romex but went back to check. After removing all the cobwebs and actually rubbing away the dust, I could make it out. I didn't realize you could bury any cable right into the asphalt like that.
I caught mine a few months later.