With the spring season upon us, the City of Sarnia is preparing to undergo several road reconstruction projects.
General Manager of Engineering and Operations David Jackson said overall, the city's capital budget for this year is about $65 million
"Right now, we're getting most of our larger road reconstruction projects tendered and awarded by council," Jackson said.
Earlier this month, a $1.8 million contract was awarded for the full reconstruction of College Avenue, between George Street and Cromwell Street.
A few other contracts will need to be awarded during the March 30 city council meeting.
"Some of the larger ones that we're looking to award this time are Johnston and Queen Street, it's a sewer separation project," Jackson said. "We're looking at Kathleen Avenue, a section there has a large watermain that's in poor shape; and then Copland Road, it's another full reconstruction with kind of an old undersized water main."
City staff recommend council award the Johnston and Queen Street contract to Henry Heyink Construction Ltd. for $1.5 million. The project will reconstruct Johnston Street from Front Street to Queen Street, and Queen Street from Johnston Street to Talfourd Street.
The Kathleen Avenue reconstruction project is recommended to be awarded to BKT Excavating Ltd. for the amount of $2.6 million. The scope of the project will span between Walnut Street South and Indian Road North.
Staff also recommend awarding the Copland reconstruction project to Clarke Construction Inc. for $1.8 million. This project will extend from Exmouth Street to Alexander Street.
"These ones typically all include replacement of the watermain, the storm sewer and the sanitary sewer, or for separate and combined sewer, and we're installing new [ones]," Jackson said. "We're replacing all the curb and gutter, all of the sidewalk and all the asphalt."
The city has committed to separating remaining combined sewer systems, in order to reduce the risk of basement flooding and sewer overflows.
Council will also be asked on Monday to award a $744,191 contract to DiCocco Contractors 2015 Inc. to repave McGregor Sideroad between Plank Road and Gladwish Drive.
Jackson said for the most part, reconstruction projects planned for this year will likely cost around the $1 million to $2 million.
"We have two that are going up for tender now that will be awarded in the future, which is George Street and Minton Street and then we are also looking to tender the extension of Wellington Street between Highway 40 and Blackwell," Jackson said.
Jackson said the amount of infrastructure replaced across the city varies year over year. In a break down of the assets, 1.5 kilometres of storm sewer will be replaced this year, which represents 0.5 per cent of the total existing length. Based on current estimates, it would take roughly 219 years to replace the city's entire storm sewer system.
