February 15, 2023
MECHANIC ST-CROOK ST / PHASE 2 IMPROVEMENT PROJECT
IMPACTED AREA: Mechanic St from Railroad St to Crook St, the intersection of Mechanic St/Crook St/ Chamberlin Rd, south to the Black River bridge crossing Crook St. THIS WILL BE AN ACTIVE WORK ZONE.
CONTRACTOR PLANNED WEEKLY WORK SCHEDULE: Subject to weather – Monday through Thursday 7:00 AM to 5:30 PM (four 10-hour days), OFF Friday through Sunday. Should a regular work day or days be canceled Monday through Thursday, the contractor may have make up days on Friday or Saturday or Friday and Saturday.
Information and announcement regarding this project was first posted on the Village website March 2022 and remains posted @ https://villageofgrafton.org/our-government/bid-notices/ . The same information was advertised in the Chronical Telegram. The April 7, 2022 bid did not meet qualifying cost estimates and was REBID in October 2022 and updated on the village website address shown above on 10/28/2022 and 12/27/2022. The project was awarded to Underground Utilities, INC. Base Bid $1,509,019.15 plus the Alternate Bid 1 of $42,191.00 for added storm work benefiting Grafton Township property owners and funded by the county. The award was at the January 3, 2023 meeting of Grafton Village Council and the meeting video was televised on GLW and can be viewed at https://www.glwb.net/ .
Project Objective: Replace and improve aging infrastructure.
NEED for the PROJECT: Multiple watermain breaks in 2017 identified two infrastructure issues, a failing ductile watermain and water infiltration from the breaks and stormwater entering the failing sanitary sewer. Mechanic St/Crook St phase 1, watermain replacement was funded through grant plus a low interest loan and the balance paid through capital improvements in late 2020 and awarded in January 2021. The funding for Phase 2 sanitary sewer, storm sewer and roadway resurfacing was approved in late 2021 and funded through again by grant, low interest loan, capital improvements and in part from county funding of storm improvements benefiting six township property owners with direct connection to municipal storm and sanitary sewers.
Timeline provided in the for completion was January 2023 through September 2023. Given favorable weather, available materials and scheduling, UUI was able to mobilize in early January and reports the project may be completed before Memorial Day weekend 2023.
ROADWAY will be posted CLOSED, local traffic will be maintained and delays can be expected when navigating an active work site. For the safety of public vehicle operators, their passengers, the work crew throughout the site, contractor vehicle operators, equipment operators, site inspector, and those we have asked to work in open trench, lined with a safety trench-box, Grafton asks those who can avoid the IMPACTED AREA to please do so.
The lives of others may depend on the cooperation and patience of everyone. The roadway will be open to local traffic, open to school bus traffic, open to all safety services. Should the public have any concerns or need direction Quality Control Inspections (QCI) will have an inspector onsite identified by his/her bright yellow vest (marked QCI) and white hardhat (marked QCI).
Project updates are not required on secondary roadways. We will post new information when provided from the contractor, Grafton’s engineer, or the QCI inspector.
Local secondary roadway projects employ the services of a single state certified inspector. State route roadway projects are classified primary commerce interstate roadways that permit large commercials traffic that must be maintained when possible (unless you are CSX).
Weekly project updates are required when state funding is provided on state routes, such as were provided in the SR 57 (Envision Main St) project in 2022 and include the services of many including an inspection engineer, state certified inspector and community engagement director who generates by reports weekly.
Projects like this temporally upend local neighborhood life, we understand that. For some who have lived here for decades know the improvements were a long time coming. When finished the new infrastructure will serve and benefits those living here today and generation to follow. Thank you for your understanding and patience.