It was a simple directive.
Spend restricted money designated for projects requiring major construction as quickly as possible to take advantage of significantly lower bids being offered by firms as well as to generate jobs in a weak economy.
That directive was made almost six months ago by the Manteca City Council to staff. Today a slew of street, sewer, and water projects are either ready to move forward or about to break ground.
Many are coming in as much as 40 percent under the original estimate saving taxpayers – and ratepayers if it is a sewer or water project – hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Among the projects are:
•Manteca has attained $1.3 million in federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for pavement repair and asphalt overlay on segments of Union Road, North Street and Alameda Street. No local match is required. Bids are expected to be sought at the July 7 City Council meeting.
•A bid for $1.3 million is expected to be awarded shortly for the Austin Road water pipeline extension project consisting of 20,000 feet of pipe from 12-inch to 24 –inch in Austin Road from Lathrop Road to Yosemite Avenue. It will improve system pressure as well as allow surface water treated at the Nick DeGroot Surface Water Treatment Plant to be blended with nearby wells to reduce the levels of arsenic to meet tougher new federal standards.
•The bid for the Yosemite Avenue/Highway 120 interchange landscaping is expected to be awarded July 7.
•The city is getting ready toward a bid of $364,690 to clean and line 5,500 feet of sewer line in Louise Avenue from Cottage Avenue to Main Street. The line is concrete and is currently unlined. It has been severely eroded by sewer gases. The lining will extend its life by another 25 to 30 years.
•Work will start on the Lincoln Avenue water main project that will cost $318,170. The bid by Rolfe Construction was $207,000 under the engineer’s estimate. It involves replacing several smaller, inadequately sized lines with 3,850 feet of pipe for a 12-inch water main, modify four fire hydrant plugs, and modify 61 water connections. The water line work is in Lincoln Avenue from North Street to Alameda Street, Alameda Street from Lincoln Avenue to Dawn Drive, and in Dawn Drive from Alameda Street to Edison Street.
•Construction will start on a $184,495 project to have D.A. Wood Construction install a 12-inch water main, fire hydrants and 20 service lines along 2,590 feet from Yosemite Avenue to Crom Street along Airport Way. The engineer’s estimate was $350,000.
The projects have no impact on the general fund that is still facing at least a $2 million deficit for the fiscal year that starts in eight days. The money funding the projects is collected specifically for that purpose and can’t legally be used for anything else including balancing the general fund.
To contact Dennis Wyatt, e-mail dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com
