 Attendees look at displays with the help of city engineers, consultants and contractor SEMA Construction during the April 12 open house in the Springs Journey Church for the Chestnut bridge project. The view is from the second floor landing Westside Pioneer photo
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Instead of October, as once anticipated, the contractor, SEMA Construction, is looking at a mid-November completion.
In April, SEMA began work at the site, where Chestnut over Douglas Creek has been closed between Vondelpark Drive and Ellston Street since last August. That was when a sinkhole appeared in the pavement and rapidly spread across both lanes.
The $2.9 million contract is noticeably higher than the RTA's $1.8 million estimate in the 2012 election. Mike Chaves of City Engineering explained that the project scope proved to be broader than expected in 2012 and that construction costs on the more complex types of projects have risen this year.
Alex Pellegrino, the city's Chestnut project manager, said he is coordinating with the project manager for the Centennial Boulevard reconstruction project - less than a mile away and also occurring this summer - to mitigate traffic impacts.
In place of the failed corrugated metal pipe that caused the sinkhole, the project will install an arched, lighted concrete culvert, 36 feet wide and 10 feet high, which will include a 12-foot-wide trail.
Here are the major work frames (some overlapping), as shown on the SEMA schedule:
Through early May - Temporarily relocating the trail from the work area.
Early May to mid-July - construction of the culvert
Late June to mid-October - retaining walls and utility work
Mid-August to early November - riprap and seeding.
Mid-October to early November - Chestnut paving.
Early to mid-November - Project completion and demobilization.
Westside Pioneer article