ThisWeek CW 03/22/2012
Canal Winchester officials approved more than $3.1 million in contracts Monday, March 19, for improvement work that includes the Gender Road Phase 2 project and several street projects.
“In the last month, our team in the office has supported the city for the bidding process for Gender Road and the street CIP (capital improvement plan),” city engineer Steve Farst said. “It was a smooth bid process with only some questions about Gender Road to answer.”
According to Public Works Director Matt Peoples, six companies submitted bids for the Gender Road project. Strawser Paving Co. Inc. was chosen as the lowest and best bidder with a total bid of $2,705,913.
“We’re very familiar with Stawser as they did work on the Gender Road Phase 1 project and they’ve done other work with us, so we know they’ll be very good,” Peoples said. “I want to acknowledge Steve’s group, who did an outstanding job coordinating this bid with the city of Columbus and the Ohio Department of Transportation, due to the various funding sources and responsibilities.”
Farst said the original engineering estimate for the project was $2.8 million, which was halfway between the highest and lowest bids.
“The six bids were very tight, so there was clearly an understanding of what was necessary so this was a good bid process,” Farst said.
The second part of the Gender Road project will include widening and updating the road from U.S. Route 33 to Lehman Road. Canal Winchester City Council voted unanimously to approve the contract.
“The 2012 street CIP includes improvements throughout the city — the reconfiguration of East Columbus Street and lots of sewer improvements in the Hocking and Trine streets area and improvements to water drainage at Hanners Park,” Peoples said.
Columbus Asphalt Paving was selected as the lowest and best bidder with a total bid of $444,744 for the 2012 street CIP.
“The engineer’s estimate was $450,000 so we were on target with where the bid came in, but there were only two bidders for this project so we were disappointed in that,” Farst said.
Peoples said Columbus Asphalt Paving has successfully completed other projects for the city in the past.
“Columbus Asphalt Paving did the Columbus Street replacement in 2008 and other projects and we’ve been pleased with their work in the past,” he said.
City council voted unanimously to approve the contract with Columbus Asphalt Paving for the 2012 Street CIP project.
Beyond the work to be completed under the street CIP, streets department manager Shawn Starcher said drainage work on Bowen Road has been completed and work is under way to identify where a sewer failure on Washington Street occurred so that it can be repaired.
Urban forester Dick Miller said a contract for planting street trees has been awarded to Klamfoth Inc. of Canal Winchester.
“The lowest and best bidder for the 108 street trees was submitted by Klamfoth for $17,050, which doesn’t include the $1,979 in trees the city already bought from individual greenhouses,” Miller said.
Finally, the roof, gutters, soffits and fascia will be replaced at the water treatment plant for a total cost of $37,000, according to water department manager Gary Schmitt.
The next service committee meeting is scheduled for 5:45 p.m. Monday, April 16, at Town Hall, 10 N. High St.