September 16, 2022 |
The big excavator sitting idle outside the Saratoga Town Hall this week tells the tale. Work has stalled on the Spring Avenue water line replacement project, which is now weeks behind schedule.
The town’s notorious groundwater issues are the reason.
The intersection of Spring Avenue and Fourth Street has been closed for longer than anticipated. With the October 15th deadline rapidly approaching, it seems unlikely that the job will be finished on time.
Bigfoot 99 previously reported on the project’s various delays.
The Saratoga Carbon County Impact Joint Powers Board discussed the situation at this week’s meeting. Richard Raymer, chairman of the joint powers board, said the contractor hired for the project, Lewis & Lewis, has hit a roadblock. Raymer had doubts from the beginning.
Pictured above: Spring Avenue bore pit. Photo by Bigfoot 99.
So far, Lewis & Lewis have removed the road surface from Third Street to outside of town hall. They have installed approximately 260 feet of 12-inch water line, reaching the corner of Second Street.
Lewis & Lewis has dug the bore pit out front of town hall. The pit will allow the boring contractor, Coleman Construction, to tunnel under First Street to run water pipes from one side of the road to the other. Work on the bore pit has stopped because of groundwater.
Saratoga Director of Public Works Jon Winter said the contractor was aware that water would be an issue before work began.
CMAR stands for Construction Management at Risk. Basically, this means that the contractor gave the town a budget they thought would cover the project. The contractor is responsible for paying if they go over that original amount.
The members of the joint powers board said that Lewis & Lewis has spent around half a million dollars just trying to control the ground water.
The contractor must control the influx of water before they can continue. They can’t pump the groundwater into the river without a permit from the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality. Winter said, for that to happen, all sediment and debris must be removed.
Chairman Raymer said these setbacks have made it nearly impossible for the project to be finished on time.
The town will need a plan if that should happen. The impending cold will make the job of completing the job on schedule more of a challenge. Lewis & Lewis has to be upfront with the town about their progress.
With winter around the corner, time is running out to complete the project this year. The spring thaw will bring a whole new set of problems related to groundwater. Things won’t be getting any easier for Lewis & Lewis.
