This week's headlines

Delta City Council has tentatively planned a groundbreaking ceremony for Confluence Drive, the city's alternate truck route, on Dec. 7.

Last week, the contract with Hamon Contractors was finalized and a construction management contract was awarded to Stantec, the firm that designed the four-lane road that will take motorists off Highway 50 at Gunnison River Drive to a re-entry point near the Stockyards Restaurant.

"It's been a process," commented city manager Justin Clifton. It's been such a process Clifton is the third city manager to be directly involved with the project.
The bottom line is $17,969,000 for construction.

City of Delta public works director Jim Hatheway, a team from Stantec and a team from Hamon went through the bid sheet line by line to shave costs wherever possible, Hatheway reported.

"We started at $18.5 million, so we moved in a very positive direction," Hatheway told council members last week. In addition, Hamon reduced its profit by $85,000, which council members took as a sign of the contractor's willingness to work with the city.

"That's better than all the coffee mugs," councilmember Ray Penick commented.

Councilmember Mary Cooper, who has served on the city's construction committee with councilmember Ray Penick and former councilmember Guy Pfalzgraff, was eager to make the motion approving the contract, a motion that passed unanimously.

Cooper observed, "It's a reflection of the importance of the project to Hamon that they're here this evening."
In separate action related to the alternate truck route, a change order was approved allowing Stantec to transition into a construction management role.

"We've been through a very arduous process on this as well," Hatheway said. To verify the cost proposed by Stantec, Hatheway said the city went to a strong competitor and asked them to provide a cost estimate of their own. Jacobs estimated the cost at $440,744, above Stantec's proposal of $429,000.

Finally, council members budgeted additional money to Stantec for engineering support. During construction, Hatheway explained, there are submittals that need to be reviewed for compliance with the project plans and specifications. Stantec will also need to be available to provide clarification to subcontractors as needed, and by law, must be present during construction of the overpasses to verify compliance with the structural design. Council approved engineering services not to exceed $423,358.

In a follow-up phone call, Clifton said the city is seeking an additional $1 million from the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA). "We're trying to complete the project the right way, with four lanes and six inches of asphalt," Clifton said. "So we're asking for some help."

The city previously received a DOLA grant of $2.8 million, well below the $13 million requested. The city has presented a requisition for the first grant reimbursement, which will be used for right-of-way acquisition. The city is also requesting a grant extension, since more than a year has passed since the grant was awarded.

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