October 20, 2022 |
With winter weather nearing, Lewis and Lewis are moving into the next phase of the Spring Avenue water line replacement project.
Delays, stemming from ground water in the bore pit, caused the project to run past its original completion date. The pit, in front of Saratoga Town Hall, was dug to allow pipe to be run beneath First Street, eliminating the need to close the road during construction.
Last week, the contractors, Lewis and Lewis, were able to complete that part of the job. The bore pit can be filled in and work can continue replacing the remaining pipe from Second to South River Street.
At yesterday’s meeting between the town and Lewis and Lewis, Jon Winter, the Saratoga public works director, mentioned that dump trucks were dropping dirt on the road.
Pictured above: Spring Avenue bore pit. Photo by Bigfoot 99.
Big equipment on Bridge Avenue downtown is a concern. The street is narrow, and between traffic and parking, downtown becomes congested easily. Winter said no trucks are permitted in the middle of town.
The contractor agreed to tell the drivers to use an alternative route.
With the pipe laid under Highway 130, Lewis and Lewis can move their operation across the highway. Working on the road in front of the fire station, on East Spring, means the fire department won’t have access to their vehicles. Freezing temperatures means leaving the filled pumper trucks outside is out of the question. At last week’s meeting between the town and Lewis and Lewis, the idea of storing the trucks at the airport was discussed. Mayor Creed James said it would increase response time since the firefighters would have to get their equipment in town and then go to the airport.
Chairman of the Carbon County Joint Powers Impact Board Richard Raymer thought the airport was the best place to keep the trucks. Since the move would be temporary, Raymer said the firefighters could store their equipment with the trucks.
Josh Ward from Lewis and Lewis said he will meet with mayor James and figure out a place to store the trucks while his men work on the pipeline.
Asphalt is another concern. Colder temps make laying pavement more difficult. The plan discussed at previous meetings was for the contractor to put down temporary pavement and return next year to finish the job. Raymer was concerned about the amount of traffic Spring Avenue receives.
The bore pit put Lewis and Lewis way behind schedule. The original plan was to have the entire project finished by now. The contractors have options for working in the freezing weather, but each comes with its own set of compromises. Pouring asphalt in the cold can seriously affect the stability of the road surface, making it more likely to need repairs in the future. Either way, the contractors will have to hustle to have everything completed before the end of the year.
