Subject to approval by the North Dakota Department of Transportation, the City Council Monday awarded the bid for construction work on the city's downtown parking lots, which border the railroad tracks.
The DOT is expected to approve the low bid of $759,038 by Border States Paving, out of Fargo, within a couple of days. However, don't expect the mill and overlay work on the lots to start immediately.
"It will take two to three weeks to get all the construction documents completed and then they have to order materials," said Jeff Fuchs, city administrator.
Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway has OK'd easements on its right-of-way which will widen the two parking lots on the south side of the railroad tracks. BNSF has set a deadline of mid-October for construction work on the easements to be completed.
Along with widening two of the parking lots to meet today's design standards, entrances and exits will be reconstructed to accommodate the quiet zone plan. A decorative wrought-iron fence will edge the lots along the tracks. It will be higher than originally planned as required by BNSF.
ADVERTISEMENT
The parking lot project includes removing the evergreen trees lining the tracks in the lot across from the Gladstone Inn & Suites. The area will be turned into a green space. The only major design change on the parking lot facing Central Valley Health District, also on the north side of the tracks, is moving the access from Second Avenue West to First Avenue. Both lots will receive a mill and overlay as well.
Fuchs estimated construction work on the project will probably be completed by freezeup.
At this point, the notice of intent to establish a quiet zone has been sent to relevant agencies for review, Fuchs said. A public comment period is under way until July 15. Any of the agencies who have to approve the quiet zone can make recommendations on alterations to the city's plan during this time. That would slow up the process. If no recommendations are made the quiet zone project can move ahead. However, until all the steps and approvals are met in the involved process, construction of pedestrian mazes and medians can't occur.
"I hope we can get it done this fall, but it will be tight," Fuchs said.
Until the quiet zone construction is completed and the agencies have signed off on it, the train horns now sounding at six crossings through town won't be silenced. The plan includes closing the Third Avenue West crossing.
The council also awarded a $1.06 million bid to a Minnesota company, Riley Construction, to replace the sanitary sewer force main running from the main lift station near Business Loop East to the wastewater treatment plant. The project will not get under way for seven to eight weeks, City Engineer Reed Schwartzkopf said.
"They need to get parts," he said. "It will get done this fall however."
As this was her last council meeting, Mayor Clarice Liechty thanked the community for allowing her to serve. Liechty did not run for re-election.
ADVERTISEMENT
Sun reporter Toni Pirkl can be reached at (701) 952-8453 or by e-mail at tonip@jamestownsun.com
