Westover hoping Holland Avenue work may start as early as March

WESTOVER — Doug Smith informed Westover Metropolis Council on Monday that he’s pushing exhausting to get the town’s Holland Avenue mission beneath building as quickly as attainable. 

“Proper now, I’m taking pictures for January, February and beginning building within the March, April timeframe. Sooner if I can, however that’s what I’m taking pictures for,” he mentioned when requested when the mission could be able to exit for bid.   

Smith, with Thrasher Engineering, is the town’s engineer main parallel initiatives to repair Holland Avenue and change the Dent’s Run pump station on the coronary heart of the town’s sanitary sewer system.  

The Holland Avenue work will deal with about 2,000 ft of the roadway, together with damaged down sanitary sewer and stormwater strains beneath the road’s floor and the massive retaining wall that runs alongside its decrease portion. 

Smith mentioned getting the appropriate contractor for that work might be crucial.

“My scariest situation is, let’s simply say every thing goes loopy and we’re bidding this within the fall subsequent yr, we may very well be coping with a scarcity of contractors. We may be coping with contractors that not construct homes due to the economic system and rates of interest, in order that they’re going to be in search of several types of income and turn into utility contractors as a result of there may be an abundance of cash in that market as a complete,” he defined. 

The mixed price of the twin initiatives has been estimated at $8.25 million, about $3.8 million of which can should be financed via the division of environmental safety over 20 years at 3% curiosity.  

The remainder will come lined by the town’s American Rescue Plan Act {dollars} ($1.9 million), anticipated grant funding from the West Virginia Water Growth Authority ($2 million) and contributions from the county and state. 

So long as projected prices maintain regular, the financing is lined up. 

“Every thing is about and able to go, however I’ll at all times throw this caveat in there that that’s as of the estimate we’ve got right this moment,” he mentioned. “After we get nearer and prepare to exit to bid, we’ll do a brand new estimate at the moment and see how shut we’re.”