September 28, 2022 |
Groundwater in the bore pit continues to delay Saratoga’s Spring Avenue water main replacement and street repaving project.
During Tuesday’s weekly meeting between the town, T-O Engineering, and Lewis and Lewis, the contractor said ground water continues to be an issue. The company hired to drill the hole under First Street, Coleman Construction, also made good on their promise to leave by the end of the week.
Josh Ward of Lewis and Lewis, said Coleman won’t be back until close to the middle of October, at the earliest.
The new timeline gives the contractors two weeks to get the bore pit dry enough for drilling to begin. With the help of Rain for Rent, a water handling company, Ward said he feels like his team has the water problem figured out.
Pictured above: Spring Avenue bore pit. Photo by Bigfoot 99.
Last week, the town asked for a recovery plan from Lewis and Lewis to see when and how the contractor intended to complete the job. Ward provided a timeline of how long each job would take to complete once it was started, but little else.
Josh Morris from T-O Engineering asked for more detailed weekly reports.
The entire project hinges on getting the bore pit ready. Progress can’t continue on Spring Avenue if they can’t get under First Street. Ward and his team would need to move their operation across the highway or pack up for the season if Coleman can’t start drilling.
Weather is a constant threat to the contractor’s progress. Chairman of the Carbon County Saratoga Joint Powers Board Richard Raymer doesn’t want to see Lewis and Lewis do a shoddy rush job in order to beat the snow.
Ward assured the town that his team would properly wrap everything up before the weather forced them off the job.
The plan, as it is right now, is to get as much pipe work done as possible before winter sets in. Once that happens, Lewis and Lewis will focus their efforts on getting the roads paved. The temporary pavement will last until the spring when they can start work again.
