Paving efforts in the city are wrapping up, while the city’s 2018 capital and maintenance projects are on track to completion this construction season as long as the weather holds.
The 3rd Street water main replacement and basework phase should be in its final stages this week with paving to be done shortly after, said Peter Bergquist, Humboldt’s director of public works, on Sept. 21. Of course, he added, when it comes to end-of-season work, it’s always “weather permitting.”
The 3rd Street project, which goes from 6th Avenue to 7th Avenue, is the last of four water main and basework projects to take place this year. Projects were also undertaken on 6th Avenue from 12th Street to 17th Street, and 9th Avenue from 13th Street to Canada Place.
Bergquist said the department’s capital and maintenance projects for 2018, with a few modifications along the way, have progressed well.
While wet weather can have its effects, said Bergquist, paving and concrete work are most affected by temperature. If it’s too cold, paving material can be too cool to work with by the time it arrives at the work site from the plant, and concrete will not cure if the temperature is too cool.
Most of this year’s paving is wrapping up, however, as is the concrete work, except for a few spot patching jobs, he said.
There are still some streetlights to go up as well, said Bergquist. Lights have gone up on Highway #5 from Peck Road to Lakewood Drive and from 104th Street to the east entrance onto Crawley Road and on 5th Avenue from 13th Street to Peck Road. Still to be done are the streetlights planned from Peck Road from 5th to 4th Avenue.
Most of the microseal, sand, slurry and seal work, aimed at extending the life of streets that have begun to deteriorate, has been done. However, said Bergquist, the list of projects for this year was modified once the contractor determined some got to the point where they were beyond the scope of preservation and instead needed rehabilitation.
Along with these capital and maintenance projects, said Bergquist, a redesign of 6th Avenue from 12th Street to 17th Street has begun. The plan is to buffer the adjacent residential properties from the railway, heavy transportation uses of 5th Avenue and future commercial development along 5th Avenue. The design called for narrowing the street, allowing for two-way traffic but with parking only on the north side. The purpose of the narrow street is to slow traffic down and redirect them to either 5th or 7th Avenue.
Landscaping and trees will come next year, said Bergquist.
Looking to future projects, the city has put out a tender on the creation of a new design for the Main Street and 5th Avenue intersection, with the winner selected at the Sept. 29 council meeting. A preliminary design is expected Nov. 12, with public open houses to follow. A detailed design will be due Feb. 11.
