Costs, design questions remain on Eastern Boulevard project

Clark County

Discussion

February 4, 2010

Officials OK change order, new contract

By DAVID A. MANN The News and Tribune Thu Feb 04, 2010, 10:57 PM EST

Even as it enters its second year, Clarksville officials are still debating the costs and scope of the Eastern Boulevard resurfacing project.

Thursday night the Clarksville Redevelopment Commission — the primary agency behind the project — approved a $15,000 change order to rehabilitate the entrance of Clarksville Flowers and Gifts, eliminating a problem wherein vehicles back directly out of parking spaces onto the busy thoroughfare. It also approved the use of $3,000 to design a solution to similar parking problems in front of neighboring properties, including Resch’s Tavern, Asylum Extreme, Neely Chiropractic and what’s known as the Minshall property nearby.

The contractor, Mac Construction, is already asking for more money because of delays, said Jorge Lanz, engineer with the firm Jacobi, Toombs and Lanz. It’s wanting about $200,000 above the $4 million it’s currently being paid, Lanz said.

The proposed changes might be so time consuming that the portion of the project in question may have to be deleted, and broken out into a separate job, so as not to incur more costs.

The project, the only resurfacing Eastern Boulevard has had in about 20 years, began in August of 2008. The plan is to widen and modernize the road, add a turning lane, sidewalks, lighting and landscaping. It was supposed to be complete in November 2009, but has been delayed by the relocation of water and gas utilities and by a handful of weather problems, officials have said.

As of now, according to contractor and inspector reports, Indiana American Water cost the project an 80-workday delay, Lanz said Thursday. Natural gas provider Vectren caused a 30-workday delay.

“This job would have been done on time if it wouldn’t have been for utility delays,” said David Fisher, a commission member and Clarksville councilman.

During a meeting last month, he’d ask the town’s attorney to look into legal options for recouping the extra dollars from the utilities.

Lanz said the final amount that the town will pay Mac has not yet been decided. He said he wanted the questions about the costs and scope to be answered within the next month so work can resume once weather improves.

MORE

• Look for another story in Saturday’s edition of The Evening News regarding other business from Thursday’s Clarksville Redevelopment meeting.