Tender for Concession 8 North roadwork approved, project could start later this month

Concession 8 North, as seen is this Google Maps screenshot, will be getting some work. Reconstruction of that roadway from Alma St. to 680 metres north of Texas Road will be taking place either starting later in August or early September.

Work is coming to Concession 8 North after town council approved a tender for the project at its most recent meeting.

The tender was awarded to D’Amore Construction in the amount of $2,641,028, excluding GST. Town council authorized CAO Valerie Critchley or a designate to amend the agreement, if required, to expand the scope of the work plan, provided additional services remain within the total project funding of $3,020,099.

The current plan is to fully construct Concession 8 North from Alma St. to 680 metres north of Texas Road.

Councillor Molly Allaire wanted to know when work could get underway with engineering technologist Jesse Daudlin stating work crews are still working on the Seymour St. and George St. projects.

“Once they finish that, they’ll be starting the 8^th,” he said. “We’re anticipating that construction to be done late-August/early-September so just after that.”

Daudlin said the contract calls for an end date of Nov. 15.

Councillor Peter Courtney addressed the portion of the motion about expanding the scope of work, asking why they could have to broaden the scope of the project by $300,000.

Manager of engineering Todd Hewitt said there could be situations they don’t expect, citing a geotechnical situation on Concession 2 North that wasn’t originally anticipated when that project got underway. By having the extra funding available through this motion, staff doesn’t have to return to council and delay the project should something come up again. 

“We don’t anticipate using it. Frankly, I don’t want to use it,” said Hewitt. “That money, when not used, goes back into the coffers and will help fund other roads that need to be done and that is my main goal. What had occurred in the past was when we returned and didn’t have that flexibility, we had to come back to council for approval.”

Councillor Don McArthur said he was pleased there would be a 0.5-meter paved shoulder added in to the project.

“They come in very handy on the 2^nd Concession and the people in McGregor want them too,” said McArthur.

Hewitt said there is a bit of a buffer for walkers and cyclists, but stated it is narrower than he would like due to the width of roadway they have to work with.

McArthur also wanted to know when the entire stretch of Concession 8 North would be finished, with Hewitt stating the original intention was to go from Alma St. to Middle Side Road (County Road 10). Hewitt added the Environment Assessment (EA) for the McGregor sewage lagoon expansion project is still underway.

“We didn’t want to do the road and have something result if we decided to service the Howard Industrial Area through that,” he said. “We’re hopeful that by the end of this year or early next year we’ll have a resolve with the McGregor EA and we’ll have information for council at that point. Depending on what those decisions are, that will dictate when the second portion of the 8^th gets done.”

The work is already engineered and there will be a spot for it in the capital budget, Hewitt continued. 

McArthur also wanted an update on nearby paved shoulders in the McGregor area, with Hewitt stating a multi-use pathway between the greenway along Middle Side Road to Walker Road. It is being done in conjunction with CWATS, with a narrow right-of-way and utilities in the area causing delays. Paved shoulders on County Road 10 from Walker Road to County Road 20 is in the CWATS master plan, Hewitt added, and the County of Essex will pay for that but occur on the county’s timeline for rehabilitation.

Tender for Concession 8 North roadwork approved, project could start later this month

By Ron Giofu