November 16, 2022 |
Time has run out on the Spring Avenue waterline replacement project.
The cold weather has taken its toll on the project’s contractor, Lewis and Lewis. Repeated setbacks have caused the job to fall behind schedule.
Originally, the project was supposed to be finished by mid-October. A waterlogged bore pit at Saratoga Town Hall delayed drilling beneath First street for weeks.
Representatives from Saratoga, T-O Engineering, and Lewis and Lewis met again yesterday to discuss the future of the project.
To no one’s surprise, Lewis and Lewis’ Josh Ward said the weather had finally caught up with them. He said his crew would finish connecting the water lines they’ve started, but will have to finish the job next year.
Pictured above: Spring Avenue bore pit. Photo by Bigfoot 99.
During the October 26th special workshop between Saratoga Town Council and Lewis and Lewis, their construction manager, Caleb Tygum, was overly optimistic about having the roads finished by the end of this month.
With the deadline approaching, it is clear the contractor will not finish paving. The frozen ground will make it impossible to lay a permanent road surface. Before Lewis and Lewis wrap up the season, Ward said his team will temporarily pave a 30-foot-wide section down the middle of Spring Avenue and put crushed asphalt, or millings, on the shoulders.
The town’s fears of having a sub-optimal road surface have all but been confirmed. During previous meetings, members of the town have expressed concern about Lewis and Lewis doing a hasty job of paving to finish before winter sets in. Improperly laid asphalt is likely to be torn up by snowplows. Ward assured the town the temporary roads would hold up until next year.
The town wants a written plan from Lewis and Lewis on how they will respond if a water line breaks. Richard Raymer, chairman of the impact joint powers board, said the town moved forward with the project, knowing weather could be an issue, because the pipes needed to be replaced sooner rather than later.
Raymer raised this question. If they break before the contractor comes back, would Lewis and Lewis be held responsible? With the job so far behind schedule, Ward agreed his company was on the hook.
If the newly laid pipes burst over the winter, T-O Engineering’s Josh Morris said Lewis and Lewis would be responsible. The town hadn’t signed a certificate of completion, meaning they are the contractor’s pipes until the job is finished.
Because the contractor is based in Rock Springs, they wouldn’t be able to respond quickly to an emergency. In that case, the town would fix the issue and send the bill to Lewis and Lewis.
The town expects Ward’s plan to be completed today, giving them a chance to make changes before the contractor leaves.
A workshop with Lewis and Lewis will be held tomorrow at 6 p.m. to discuss additional costs, or liquidated damages.
The cold weather has forced the contractor to abandon the Spring Avenue waterline replacement project for the season. Lewis and Lewis hope temporary paving will hold the town over until they can return to finish the job.
