| Carbon County Commissioner Bill Krompel (center) talks with Brian Barton from Jones & DeMille Engineering and Curtis Page, county engineer, about the Carbonville project Tuesday afternoon. |
Spring Glen residents can expect smooth riding in the near future as the county has decided to completely redo the roadway from Haycock Lane to Kenilworth Road, according to the project manager overseeing the work.
Brian Barton from the Richfield-based Jones & DeMille Engineering said Wednesday morning that, instead of just rotomilling, the road will be pulverized and three inches of asphalt applied.
The decision resulted in a small change in the schedule.
“Residents need to be aware that the pulverizing will be done Thursday,” said Barton. “The public will still be able to use the roadway and there will dust control measures in place.”
The end result of the pulverizing will be a more level roadway with crowns in the proper place, according to Barton.
“It will just be much better driving,” he said.
The resurfacing of 2000 West is part of $1.4 million flood control measure, which includes widening the street by six feet, installing curb and gutter and putting in a storm drain system to siphon water off into the Price River.
Spring Glen residents, many of whom have experienced flooding, packed the board of commissioners room last November to hear about the plan. The consensus was, at the time, that the work couldn’t start soon enough.
With the project underway, however, some residents have expressed dismay at the disruptions in their everyday lives.
Hearing about concerns, Carbon Commissioner Bill Krompel took a tour of the site, as well as two other roadway improvement sites Tuesday afternoon.
Krompel was joined by Barton, county engineer Curtis Page and road department supervisor Ray Hansen to check the progress at Spring Glen, 1500 West in Carbonville and the project at the county fairgrounds.
Mother Nature threw a curve ball at the construction crews last week, setting the work back by three or four days, according to Krompel.
“While the moisture was welcome over an inch of rain really put a damper on some the work,” said the commissioner.
Despite the challenges, Barton said the crews expect to finish at Spring Glen by the end of July.
In addition to the rain, Price River Water Improvement District manager Jeffrey Richens reported at the May 20 board meeting that a glitch at the 1500 West site had resulted in residents being without water for most of that day.
Richens told the PRWID board that workers were moving pipes and had shut the water off at 9:30 a.m.
“When I got out there at 12:30 p.m. they had not even started cutting the pipe yet,”
Richens said he ended up in the trench showing the workers what needed to be done.
Richens’ assessment was that Nielson Construction, who is doing the work, had an inexperienced crew on site that needed direction.
Barton affirmed Tuesday that Richens’ assessment was correct, but pointed out that Nielson had rectified the situation by putting a highly experienced supervisor on the job.
Like Spring Glen, the Carbonville project will provide relief to residents vexed by flooding when the heavy rains hit.
Workers are installing 1,900 feet of new pipe that will drain storm waters away from the homes into Carbon Canal and then the Price River.
According to Barton 300 feet of 30-inch pipe has already been installed and the other 1,600 feet of 24-inch pipe should be done by the middle of July.
Like their Spring Glen neighbors, Carbonville residents can expect better driving conditions in the area.
The project includes widening 1500 West a total of four feet and resurfacing of the street.
Page pointed out the obvious curving of the street saying that it will be dealt with as part of the work.
“We are going to widen the road, straighten it out, repave it and even re-stripe it,” he said.
As for the fairgrounds a major project is underway that will result in two exit lanes as well as two lanes – one leading towards the motocross area and the other leading into the expo center/arena areas.
In addition, road widening and safety measures will be instituted starting around 600 West. The roadway that comes up behind the fairgrounds has a dicey area that comes very close to a drop off that could land an unlucky driver into the river.
One improvement will be the installation of guard rails and Jersey barriers along that section of the road.
“We are trying to get the work done before the all the big events hit the fairgrounds,” Krompel said.
However, Hanson said water runoff and rain have definitely posed a challenge.
“We have had to redo one spot for the fourth time,” he said.