The West Dunne Avenue resurfacing and utility undergrounding
project is about 40 percent complete and still expected to be
finished by June 2012, according to city staff.
The West Dunne Avenue resurfacing and utility undergrounding project is about 40 percent complete and still expected to be finished by June 2012, according to city staff.
Road closures during construction will continue longer, and have had a bigger impact on the street’s residents than originally anticipated.
When the first major phase of construction – placing utility lines underground – began in July, city staff and the contractor thought the daylight closure of the road would only last a couple months.
Now, city staff are hoping the road will be fully open for through traffic before Thanksgiving, according to project manager Julie Behzad.
The work this summer was also disrupted by the beginning of school, which required intermittent breaks in the work, Behzad said.
The city wants to take full advantage of the dry weather, and as a result will keep most of West Dunne Avenue, from Del Monte to Peak Avenue, closed 24 hours a day until the utility undergrounding is finished, Behzad said.
“The rain could delay the project and create a big mess out there,” Behzad said.
The city also hopes to complete curbs and gutters and at least a layer of asphalt before Thanksgiving, so the road can be reopened to through traffic, she added. Doing so would also keep the earthen site from turning into a muddy mess when the rainy season starts.
The road will remain open for residential traffic only. More access will be permitted at points – near the intersection of Barnell Avenue and at Peak Avenue – where larger residential and commercial complexes are located.
City staff have sent out notices to residents on the street and conducted a neighborhood meeting to notify them of the prolonged road closures.
Other work scheduled to take place in the coming weeks is the installation of a new water main, grading and curb, gutter and sidewalk construction.
The project, which is intended to beautify the road segment and improve traffic flow, remains within its budget of about $4.9 million. Change orders due to “utility conflicts” so far have added up to $145,000, Behzad said.
The city so far does not expect any significant delays in the overall project.
Until the road reopens, motorists are asked to take a detour around West Dunne Avenue, via Spring Avenue, Ciolino Way and Main Avenue.
