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MONDAY February 23, 2004 - Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels December 10, 2003 Paving delayed until spring By Bill Choy Ashland Daily Tidings While the majority of construction work on Siskiyou Boulevard should be finished by Monday, two remaining projects are delayed. Light poles are raised all along Siskiyou Boulevard Tuesday near major intersections like Mountain Avenue and East Main Street. Denise Baratta |Ashland Daily Tidings Paving work the city hoped would be finished by now is delayed until late March or early April due to weather conditions, Public Works Director Paula Brown said. Signal work is expected to be delayed from the end of December to Jan. 15, Brown said. The $3.3 million project to improve the boulevard, one of the key thoroughfares in the city, began in December 2002. The contractor, LTM Inc., of Medford, should be finished with almost all the work by Monday. While the city had hoped to finish as early as September, numerous delays kept pushing back the completion date, Brown said, With the traffic signal poles, there was some difficulties with the Oregon Department of Transportation, who must give approval to the signals. The delays are due in part to a design error in pole placement (civil design), and a design error in the details for ODOT approval (traffic engineer), Brown said. The poles were finally ordered in June, four months after the contractor's estimate. Pole work was also delayed because the electrical subcontractor had the opportunity to schedule and bid on other work during this time, which delayed the work in the Siskiyou area, Brown said. "I'm disappointed, but I can't blame him," she said. "He's pressing forward now." The remaining electrical work on over 20 poles will include pulling wire, setting poles, placing all the traffic signal heads and testing the system. Brown said having these signals work is vital. "That's what makes the traffic flow work," she said. "[The delay] is creating a situation for the community that is less than perfect." The project delays and the slowing of traffic has caused annoyance and frustration with those who have to use Siskiyou Boulevard, including many college students who attend Southern Oregon University. Brown said she sympathizes and understands people's concerns. "It's frustrating to have traffic delays," she said. "I drive through it too, so I understand the complaints. I appreciate the community's understanding through all of this." Brown said cost estimates show the project is, at most, only slightly above projected cost. This is a positive, considering the delays and the magnitude of the project, she said. The original contract amount was $3,277,662.80. It's estimated that the final cost will be $3,371,686.93. ODOT will reimburse the city $1.5 million. Brown said paving was delayed until next spring because the weather was not ideal. The weather needs to be at least 40 degrees, preferably 50 degrees, for several days. "It wasn't worth keeping the community in suspense on the possibility of having several days of warm weather," Brown said. While there are some concerns about the bumps that remain in the road, Brown said LTM will build an asphalt wedge to lessen the bumps, before the paving work is completed Despite the delays, Brown has been pleased with the work LTM has done. "I think the product is great," she said. City Administrator Gino Grimaldi said he has received numerous e-mails and calls about the construction work. "I'm sure people are feeling the impacts of construction," he said. "It's a very large project that requires a great amount of effort." Grimaldi said in the end, the project will be well worth the hassle. "The completed project is going to provide a beautiful entrance to town," he said. "It's a great investment for the future and addresses issues with the boulevard that would have continued if they went unattended." Changes to Siskiyou Boulevard, once completion is done, will include: bicycle lanes on both sides of the road; medians that close the "breaks" at Union, Harrison, Avery and Liberty streets, and University Way and Palm Avenue replacement of severely cracked streets; new bus shelters; realignment of Beach Street so that it connects with Siskiyou Boulevard at a 90-degree angle and connects to Morse Avenue. DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Site Search: A new improved archive search is coming! Look for it in mid-February! .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - ODOT Road Cams