Reconstruction of Elm Street between the two state projects is slated to begin next week when the contractor begins to stage equipment and materials, and initiates site preparation.
Both the Board of Public Works and the Water Commission, meeting in an unusual joint session on March 13, voted unanimously to award the $1.2 million Elm Street improvement project to Jack Goncalves & Sons, Inc., of Ludlow.
Both the boards voted unanimously to bypass the lower bidder, Freitas Construction of Ludlow, because of past performance history, work which included the Eastwood Acres sewer project, which resulted in substantial damage to other underground utilities. The extensive damage to the water main required installation of a new main, an expense that was not anticipated.
“The Elm Street project site is very tight with multiple utilities of every sort, three water lines, three gas lines and other underground utilities,” City Engineer Mark Cressotti said at the joint meeting. “The public will feel the pain of this construction, but if the contractor messes up, that pain will be much greater.”
The project has two components, replacing a water line and paving the roadway between Church Street and the Great River Bridge construction zone. The Water Resource Department is funding half of the project, replacing the water main, while the Department of Public Works is funding the sidewalk and traffic light improvements, as well as the paving portion of the project through Chapter 90 funding. The surface of the street will be lowered under the railroad overpass, creating additional height to accommodate truck traffic.
Ward 3 City Councilor Peter J. Miller Jr. announced that the project would begin next week Thursday night. Cressotti was not available for comment Friday.
A member of the Engineering Department said the contractor would begin to “mobilize” Monday, April 23.
Tighe & Bond Engineering, the design consultant for the project reported that three trees, two in front of the Mobile station at the intersection of Elm and Franklin streets and one at the Getty station located at the corner of the Elm and Orange streets intersection, will be removed as part of the site preparation. Those trees are either damaged or causing the sidewalks to lift, which is a public safety issue. The project scope including planting 28 new trees to replace those removed and stumps, as well as adding new streetscape trees.
The Police Department has yet to receive information of the contractor’s construction plan, data needed to develop a traffic control plan to reduce the impact of the street reconstruction effort. The project is projected to be completed by the end of summer or early fall.
The project is beginning as the two state projects, the Great River Bridge and the Main/Broad street reconstruction projects are drawing to a close.
Paving Main and Free Streets and around the Park Square Green is expected to begin by mid May, while the bridge project will be completed by May.
Mayor Daniel M. Knapik said in December that the project will align the improvements of the two state projects along the entire Elm Street corridor. The opening of the Great River Bridge has already alleviated problems with traffic flow through that corridor.
“I’m hearing that things have vastly improved,” Knapik said. “So when we close the book on this project next summer, we’re out of the Elm Street corridor.”
Knapik said the project was phased to accommodate the use of state Chapter 90 funding from two budget cycles.
