By Kevin J. Sabo
For the Independent
Some businesses on Main Street need to brace themselves for some disruption starting in May, thanks to some road and water work being done.
Work being done will affect businesses in between 48th and 49th Avenues on Main Street. The work will be a complete redevelopment of the block, beginning with water main replacements on both sides of the street, new sidewalks, and road paving.
In an effort to streamline the process of the water main replacement, the contractor will attempt to pull/bore the new water lines down the street, rather than trenching the entire block and laying the pipe.
The project, which was budgeted for in 2020 but not completed due to the pandemic, has a budget of $850,000. Three companies placed bids for the project. Urban Dirtworks, the most expensive company, came in with a bid of around $775,000.
The second company, Watson Welding, provided a bid of around $724,000. The bid awarded the contract was Wally’s Backhoe Services, with a bid of around $680,000.
“He’s become a contractor I have lots of faith in,” said Stettler Director of Operations Melissa Robbins.
Additional expenses for the project include $83,000 for engineering, and a 10 per cent contingency fund.
In an effort to streamline traffic flow as much as possible, the plan will be for all the work to be done on one side of the street, then the other.
The water replacement and sidewalk construction are estimated to take four to six weeks, and about the same amount of time for the road construction.
An estimated start for the project will be in early to mid-May, once the frost is out of the ground.
During the meeting, Robbins informed council that she will be personally reaching out to all affected businesses to ensure that proper communication is conducted throughout the project.
Scott Pfeiffer appreciated the effort, saying, “Communication is an important part of this process.”