Map: Michigan Department of Transportation This section of M-DOT‚ National Functional Classification (NFC) map illustrates the streets in Calumet Village that are eligible for MDOT‚ Small Urban Program, which is providing some of the funding for the preventative maintenance program in the village. Sixth Street is the only eligible street.
CALUMET — An Aug. 8 email from Josh Harju, design engineer with U.P. Engineers & Architects, to the Village recommended rejecting all bids for the Sixth Street Project, because the lowest bid received was nearly 25% more than the engineer’s estimate.
“We need to provide a decision to George Masinda, at MDOT, by Wednesday, August 10th by 12:00 p.m.,” Harju stated in the email. “I will plan on submitting the attached letter to him on the Villages behalf the morning of the 10th unless I hear otherwise from either of you on the Villages desire.”
The letter addressed to Masinda, drafted by UPE&A project engineer, Chris Holmes, stated that the cost increases provided by the bidder are most likely due to the instability of the economy.
“It is our opinion,” Holmes state in the letter, “that the contractors increased the unit price due to uncertainty with the economy and what it will do over the next year as the project was not expected to begin until next year. Most of the work was also to be completed as part width, which we believe also impacted the contractors unit price. It was difficult for the Engineer to accurately predict the unit prices bid for this item.”
In addition to the blacktop cost, concrete and reinforcement were also drastically above the estimate, as the cost of removal and replacement of brick pavers.
With the nature of the work being primarily completed using small equipment and additional hand work, the letter went to state, along with the relatively small quantity of these items, it was near impossible for the Engineer to accurately predict the unit prices bid for several items.
Harju said the Sixth Street Project s a Road Capital Preventative Maintenance project to mill and resurface Sixth Street from Oak Street to Pine Street (M-203), then from Pine Street to Spruce Street, on the opposite side of Pine Street.
From the corner of Oak Street to Pine Street (M-203), the project calls for
“From the corner of Oak Street, to Pine Street (M-203), the project calls for milling off 1-and-a-half inches in resurfacing,” Harju said. “It is a preventative maintenance project to extend the life of the asphalt.”
From Pine Street to Spruce Street, on the opposite side of Pine, the project calls for crushing and shaping the existing and rehabilitating, with two courses of blacktop.
The cost issues are among the agenda items to be discussed at the regular Aug. meeting, scheduled for Tues. evening.
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