Road projects behind schedule

A sign seen on Pine Street this afternoon says it will be closed for contruction for three months, starting May 12, 2014.

Do the math and you will discover the work should have been done almost a month ago.

Various road construction projects are behind schedule but that isn't necessarily cause for concern, says Don Elliott, the city's director of engineering services.

“The contractors give us the schedules, we give them a completion date in the contract. Sometimes it’s a little optimistic,” said Elliott.

The construction at Pine Street on Queen may be a month behind schedule, but work is progressing on replacing water mains, storm and sanitary sewers.

Elliott said the top lift (layer) of asphalt still needs to be layed down, and the traffic lights are being prepared for energization.

“These projects are very complicated. When you have to set up a temporary water system for people, there are two bacterial tests required and the bacterial count has to be zero," said Elliott.

He said it takes the better part of a week for that testing to return because the samples need days in the lab to grow.

Elliott added that although installing the temporary water system can push back the contractors schedules due to testing, sometimes they can make that time up because it allows them to install all three pipes in one pass.

The construction on Second Line continues with quite a lot of work to be completed, he said.

“That’s a high-profile job because it’s part of the Trans-Canada Highway,” said Elliott.

He said the Ministry of Transportation used to provide $1.5-Million for the upkeep of the link portion of the Trans-Canada Highway but ceased the funds this year.

"Why should we be responsible for the Trans-Canada Highway?" Elliott asked.

The work includes extending the sanitary sewer to the bottom of the hill and widening Second Line.

The widening is being done to accomodate highway traffic, as well as accounting for increased traffic to the new Sault Area Hospital as well as the St. Mary's College high school currently under construction.

Construction on March Street is also experiencing a delay, but Elliot hopes the work will be done shortly on replacing water mains, as well as storm and sanitary sewers.

“It’s a small enough job that we think the contractor can still finish it off,” he said.

Elliott said that penalties are built into the contracts for projects that are behind schedule.

“We call them liquidated damages. They are built into the contract (as) a per-day rate. Sometimes there are legitimate reasons why a contractor is behind schedule and we will give him credit for those days. But any other days that he is over the contact completion date, he pays the liquidated damages,” he said.

(PHOTO: A street closure sign seen September 8, 2014 on Pine Street in Sault Ste. Marie. Various construction projects around the city are behind schedule. SooToday.com/Kenneth Armstrong)