Re-Re-Re-Redoing Dupont Ave N

Okay, I am getting a bit frustrated with the construction company that won the low bid to repave Dupont Ave N. Today is the fourth time they have chopped up and removed newly poured concrete sidewalk and curbing at the corners. I don't know if the company has incompetent help, if they are not following the blueprint, if they are cutting corners, or if the city is changing the rules in the middle of the game. The city estimated the cost of the project to be about $3.5M, with $1.4M coming from the Obama stimulus fund. The low bid came in over a million dollars below the estimate. Everyone was assessed according to the estimate and not the winning bid, but when the city accepted the cheapest bid they did not lower our assessments. We still pay the same amount, so the city is making more money on me. Call me upset. It was 3.5 weeks ago when they said they would be done in 2-3 weeks. All the curbing must be in before the asphalt can be laid. Aarrrrgggggghhhh!

And the Construction Continues

Okay. Here is the update. This has been going on since late May and we still live on a dirt road. Three weeks ago Judy talked with the contractor who told her then that our section would be done in 2-3 weeks. I guess they missed. Twice they have removed newly poured cement curbing and poured it again. The last time was because they forgot the handicap access curbs at the corners. Our section is the easiest part of the whole project and only 1/3 of it. It is supposed to be done before November. They brought out the big equipment today. Should get a lot done now. Well actually, they did have the road-grader out and they scrapped off and removed 4-5 inches of dirt, but there is still dirt there. I was hoping that they would find a new road under there. But today they have done more work on the road than they have done in several days. But 2/3 of the project still needs to be done and there is only 2 1/2 months left, half way through their time table. Maybe they will be done before the 2011 Earle Brown Days Parade.