Grand Blvd. Repaving Pact Ok’d

The Spokane City Council on Monday awarded a contract for this summer’s reconstruction and repaving of Grand Boulevard.

Inland Asphalt Co. of Spokane, the winner, was the lowest of the two bidders at $880,331.

Acme Materials and Construction Co. of Spokane submitted a bid of $1.2 million.

City engineers estimated the cost of the project at $1 million.

The variation among the bids and the engineers’ estimate apparently stems from a tight time limit placed in the contract.

The contractor has 30 days to finish the work, and that may require double shifts on the project.

Grand Boulevard will be closed to all traffic from 14th Avenue to 29th Avenue when work starts in mid-August.

Initially the city said it could leave one lane of traffic open but would detour other traffic during a construction period of about 10 weeks.

But that sent business owners careening over the potential loss of customers during the lengthy traffic restrictions.

City officials held at least two meetings with business people, who persuaded the city to close Grand completely during construction and speed up the project from 10 weeks to 30 days.

As a result, the city increased its estimate of the cost from $800,000 to $1 million, but the Inland bid was submitted for the lower amount.

Thus, the time limit on the contract is not costing the city any more than it had anticipated initially.

City staff members told the council Monday they see no reason why the job won’t be finished on time.

The plan calls for grinding down the bumpy pavement from Eighth and McClellan to 16th Avenue and repaving it. The same work will be done from 21st Avenue to 29th Avenue.

From 16th Avenue to 21st Avenue, the entire road bed will be excavated. New rock and an impermeable plastic layer will be laid below the new pavement to prevent ground water from seeping into the road surface and causing it to crack during winter freezes.

Traffic will be detoured onto 14th Avenue and Bernard Street during construction.

, DataTimes