Fair Street Update
October 06, 2017
October 6, 2017
Sikes Brothers Construction is continuing to progress through the construction of the new and improved Fair Street. Since the last update we have encountered several obstacles that have proven very difficult as well as time consuming. With that being said, the project schedule has been impacted. The construction is in full swing and Sikes Brothers Construction has mobilized multiple construction crews to streamline the construction and also make up some of the lost time due to the unpredictable conditions of the project. I would like to update you on the progress of the utilities, as well as inform you of the upcoming process.
The new storm drainage system and new water system are being installed at this time. Currently they have progressed from East Tollison Street to Graham Street. During the process of installing these two utilities, Sikes Brothers Construction is also removing the sidewalk along the roadway. They are attempting to leave all of the existing curb and gutter structures at this time to maintain as much positive drainage on the street as possible. This also lessens the environmental impacts of possible sedimentation entering the drainage system. The obstacles encountered while installing these utilities have primarily been conflicting grades of the new utilities and the existing utilities such as the sanitary sewer laterals and the existing water system. This means that installation has to be halted to allow for the conflict to be resolved and then resumed once solved.
The rehabilitation of the sanitary sewer system is approximately 75% complete. The CIPP or cured in place pipe, was completed earlier this week. This was accomplished with several late evenings and nights of hard work by both the primary and sub-contractor. As several of the residents are aware, the last week of September was very intrusive in their daily lives as well as disturbing. On behalf of Hofstadter and Associates, Sikes Brothers Construction, and the City of Baxley, we do appreciate everyone's patience and understanding during this week. There were several unknowns that we encountered with the sanitary sewer lines, from pipe being incased and filled with concrete to the discovery of the very unstable, original trench box and cribbing used in the construction of the existing sanitary sewer main. The remaining 25% of the sanitary sewer system will be the installation of new sewer laterals for each home and business. A connection will be made at the sewer main and extend with new pipe to the right of way, where a new clean out will be placed. This means that there will still be many temporary street closures and excavation in the middle of the street.
In the coming weeks even more changes will take place, but the pace of progression should increase. Sikes Brothers Construction will utilize one crew to help identify and remove any conflicting existing utilities, while the other two crews continue the installment of the new storm drain pipe and the new water main. Once they have moved on toward Anthony Street, they will mobilize a subcontractor to begin installing new curb, gutter, and sidewalk following the same pattern as the utilities, beginning at East Tollison Street and moving North toward East Parker Street.
Again, I would like to express our gratitude for the patience and understanding shown by all of the residents of Fair Street, as well as the residents of the connecting streets who are also impacted.
August 4, 2017
The point repairs and new sanitary sewer manhole installment phase is coming to a close. The process took a little longer than expected due to weather conditions, ground water problems, and other small unexpected delays. The pace is going to be changing in the upcoming weeks. This part of the construction will most likely prove to be the most intrusive and will likely cause everyone some discomfort including the homeowners, general public, city of Baxley officials, and Sikes Brothers Construction alike.
First, Sikes Brothers Construction will be completing the sewer point repairs and sanitary sewer manhole installations this week and first part of the following week. They will then move into the demolition phase and at the same time begin installing the new storm water drainage system, followed by the new water system. They will begin at East Tollison St and move north bound toward East Park Ave. At this time, nothing will change with the homeowners’ water supplies. The only way it would be impacted is if a supply line was accidentally damaged during the excavation process. This does happen from time to time during construction and in the unfortunate event of this happening, the contractor will work to repair any damage to the water supply and restore it promptly. It is important to note that no one will be left without water over night. Everyone can expect to see areas of excavated dirt or trenches, and concrete pipe and concrete structures next to the road. The placement of the new storm water drainage system will be on the west side of Fair Street below the existing curb and the existing sidewalk. This is where the demolition phase will come into effect. It is necessary to remove any curb and sidewalk that will be in conflict with installing the new pipe. All of these items will all be replaced later as part of the scope of work in the construction of the improved Fair Street project.
The demolition and installment of new underground utilities will produce some traffic and transportation issues. For the safety of the public and the construction workers the North bound lane will be shut down. This is necessary because of the right-of-way proximity and the work that is being performed. The closure will only be in effect, at this time, beginning at East Tollison Street (at the intersection at the hospital) and will end at Park Avenue (the intersection before the railroad just past Miles funeral home). Traffic will be rerouted and no one will be able to travel south (toward the hospital) down Fair Street in this area. This means that traffic will only be moving north bound (toward town) in the south bound lane. A map will be provided and the contractor is required to install the appropriate signage to help reduce the confusion. It would be best if only residents of Fair Street access the street if at all possible. At a later time, the project area from East Tollison Street to Hwy 15 will also include the same type of lane closure and traffic redirection. The public will be notified prior to these changes.
Secondly, the rehabbing of the existing sanitary sewer system will begin. This will be less intrusive to the residents than the other areas of construction. This will take place throughout the entire project area, Johnson Street to East Park Avenue. The process used is CIPP or Cured-In-Place-Pipe. They will insert a long tube into the existing sewer lines. It is flexible, small in diameter, and consists of an uncured resin. Once the tube is inserted into the pipe the curing phase takes place. The tube is expanded in place using hot water. The small diameter tube expands to the diameter of the existing pipe and under the pressure and heat of the water, the resin cures or hardens. This essentially forms a new pipe within the existing pipe. This will all take place below ground, so the general public can expect to see a couple of large trucks and vans parked over or next to the sewer manholes in the street. This process does not affect the use of any residents’ sewer system. Residents can however expect to occasionally smell the resin in their home. It will smell like a glue or paint, but will not last for very long periods of time. The contractor will try to alleviate the smell by opening the sewer cleanout next to the home to help vent the odor, when there is a sewer cleanout available. The odor is not hazardous and the resident is encouraged to open the restroom window and close the door when the vehicles are seen in the area or if the odor is present. Once the pipe has cured completely, the water is removed and the contractor reinstates the homes sewer service. This will happen immediately following the curing process to prevent any sewer blockages in the homes sewer connection and this will also happen under ground and not be visible or disturbing to the residents.
As one can see, the Fair Street construction is moving into full speed and there will be lots of changes during this portion of the new construction. Most of the inconveniences will be visual and seem intrusive when the contractor is in front of a home, but the contractor is expected to remain within the city street right of way and be very mindful of each property. In the event that dirt or material is placed on one’s property beyond the right of way, the inspector or city official will have the contractor remove it and clean it up. With the cooperation of everyone that is affected by this construction, Sikes Brothers Construction can move as quickly as possible through this phase of construction and into the next phase of construction where things begin to be made new again.
We are very appreciative of you r patience and understanding thus far and respectfully ask for your continued support. If you have any questions or concerns, please give us a call at City Hall at 912-367-8300.
Thank you.
___________________________________________________________
FAIR STREET CONSTRUCTION UPDATE
June 15, 2017
Sikes Brothers Construction has mobilized construction equipment and material to Baxley and the Fair Street project. They have arranged to use a parcel of property at the intersection of Kent Street and Fair Street as their material storage area.
Sikes Brothers Construction will begin construction on the sanitary sewer throughout the project area this week and continue in the following weeks. They have started with some preliminary layout work as well as cutting the street in preparation for excavation. The next stage in this process will be installing new sanitary sewer manholes followed by localized point repairs on the existing sanitary sewer mains designated by the engineer. The excavation is set to begin on June 19, 2017. This process will impact traffic conditions to the extent of periodic stops or delays and redirecting traffic around the work using just one lane, or possible use of connecting streets to detour around the work if necessary. You can expect to see localized areas of dirt piles and at times deep holes in the street prior to installing the manholes or spot repairing the sewer main. After the installation or repair is complete, the areas will be back-filled with dirt and/or clay and gravel. These areas will remain in this condition for most of the duration of the project, until the street is ready to be resurfaced. Expect there to be some bumps or unevenness, however the construction crew is required to maintain these areas to keep them in suitable, safe travel condition.
Once the point repairs are complete, the sanitary sewer work will move into the CIPP (Cured in Place Pipe) or lining process that will be explained and updated prior to the work beginning. Sikes Brothers Construction will then move to the water system and storm water drainage system work. Details on the processes and its impact on the residents and traffic conditions will be updated prior to beginning the work.
Again, the City of Baxley, the Engineer, and the construction workers asks for your cooperation and patience throughout this process. Together we will try to minimize the inconvenience within our control.
If you have any questions, we encourage you to give us a call at City Hall, 912-367-8300
__________________________________________________________________
FAIR STREET CONSTRUCTION UPDATE
APRIL 6, 2017
The City of Baxley held a well-attended informational meeting on March 21st concerning the upcoming Fair Street project which includes street and sidewalks, storm drainage, and water/sewer improvements. The Mayor and Council along with the City Manager and other City staff were in attendance. Also attending was Carl Hofstadter and John Fry of Hofstadter and Associates (City Civil Engineers), Jay and Karl Owens with Sikes Brothers (Contractor), and many residents/property owners and interested citizens. Both the Engineers and the Contractor talked about the project and how it would unfold, as well as answered many questions from those in attendance. The notice to proceed date given to the Contractor was March 27th, 2017, and is a nine month (270 days) contract. In the initial couple of months it was noted that you will not see a lot of heavy construction, but will see a lot of surveying/markings and camera equipment that will actually video and assess the condition of the underground utilities. As discussed, once construction begins, Fair Street will be closed to through traffic and will be one way only, while maintaining safe travel for residents and businesses alike. It was emphasized that this would be a very long and disruptive project involving a lot of excavation with very large equipment and that SAFETY for workers, residents and those that must travel along this corridor will be paramount. Over 90% of this project is being funded by SPLOST revenues already collected. The contract amount was $1,915,490.65. If anyone has any questions about the project whether now or later, please contact City Manager Jeff Baxley at City Hall at 912-367-8300 or 912-240-7098 (cell), or email him at jbaxley@atc.cc . Additional updates will follow as the project progresses. The City of Baxley thanks you in advance for your patience and understanding.
Sikes Brothers Construction is continuing to progress through the construction of the new and improved Fair Street. Since the last update we have encountered several obstacles that have proven very difficult as well as time consuming. With that being said, the project schedule has been impacted. The construction is in full swing and Sikes Brothers Construction has mobilized multiple construction crews to streamline the construction and also make up some of the lost time due to the unpredictable conditions of the project. I would like to update you on the progress of the utilities, as well as inform you of the upcoming process.
The new storm drainage system and new water system are being installed at this time. Currently they have progressed from East Tollison Street to Graham Street. During the process of installing these two utilities, Sikes Brothers Construction is also removing the sidewalk along the roadway. They are attempting to leave all of the existing curb and gutter structures at this time to maintain as much positive drainage on the street as possible. This also lessens the environmental impacts of possible sedimentation entering the drainage system. The obstacles encountered while installing these utilities have primarily been conflicting grades of the new utilities and the existing utilities such as the sanitary sewer laterals and the existing water system. This means that installation has to be halted to allow for the conflict to be resolved and then resumed once solved.
The rehabilitation of the sanitary sewer system is approximately 75% complete. The CIPP or cured in place pipe, was completed earlier this week. This was accomplished with several late evenings and nights of hard work by both the primary and sub-contractor. As several of the residents are aware, the last week of September was very intrusive in their daily lives as well as disturbing. On behalf of Hofstadter and Associates, Sikes Brothers Construction, and the City of Baxley, we do appreciate everyone's patience and understanding during this week. There were several unknowns that we encountered with the sanitary sewer lines, from pipe being incased and filled with concrete to the discovery of the very unstable, original trench box and cribbing used in the construction of the existing sanitary sewer main. The remaining 25% of the sanitary sewer system will be the installation of new sewer laterals for each home and business. A connection will be made at the sewer main and extend with new pipe to the right of way, where a new clean out will be placed. This means that there will still be many temporary street closures and excavation in the middle of the street.
In the coming weeks even more changes will take place, but the pace of progression should increase. Sikes Brothers Construction will utilize one crew to help identify and remove any conflicting existing utilities, while the other two crews continue the installment of the new storm drain pipe and the new water main. Once they have moved on toward Anthony Street, they will mobilize a subcontractor to begin installing new curb, gutter, and sidewalk following the same pattern as the utilities, beginning at East Tollison Street and moving North toward East Parker Street.
Again, I would like to express our gratitude for the patience and understanding shown by all of the residents of Fair Street, as well as the residents of the connecting streets who are also impacted.
August 4, 2017
The point repairs and new sanitary sewer manhole installment phase is coming to a close. The process took a little longer than expected due to weather conditions, ground water problems, and other small unexpected delays. The pace is going to be changing in the upcoming weeks. This part of the construction will most likely prove to be the most intrusive and will likely cause everyone some discomfort including the homeowners, general public, city of Baxley officials, and Sikes Brothers Construction alike.
First, Sikes Brothers Construction will be completing the sewer point repairs and sanitary sewer manhole installations this week and first part of the following week. They will then move into the demolition phase and at the same time begin installing the new storm water drainage system, followed by the new water system. They will begin at East Tollison St and move north bound toward East Park Ave. At this time, nothing will change with the homeowners’ water supplies. The only way it would be impacted is if a supply line was accidentally damaged during the excavation process. This does happen from time to time during construction and in the unfortunate event of this happening, the contractor will work to repair any damage to the water supply and restore it promptly. It is important to note that no one will be left without water over night. Everyone can expect to see areas of excavated dirt or trenches, and concrete pipe and concrete structures next to the road. The placement of the new storm water drainage system will be on the west side of Fair Street below the existing curb and the existing sidewalk. This is where the demolition phase will come into effect. It is necessary to remove any curb and sidewalk that will be in conflict with installing the new pipe. All of these items will all be replaced later as part of the scope of work in the construction of the improved Fair Street project.
The demolition and installment of new underground utilities will produce some traffic and transportation issues. For the safety of the public and the construction workers the North bound lane will be shut down. This is necessary because of the right-of-way proximity and the work that is being performed. The closure will only be in effect, at this time, beginning at East Tollison Street (at the intersection at the hospital) and will end at Park Avenue (the intersection before the railroad just past Miles funeral home). Traffic will be rerouted and no one will be able to travel south (toward the hospital) down Fair Street in this area. This means that traffic will only be moving north bound (toward town) in the south bound lane. A map will be provided and the contractor is required to install the appropriate signage to help reduce the confusion. It would be best if only residents of Fair Street access the street if at all possible. At a later time, the project area from East Tollison Street to Hwy 15 will also include the same type of lane closure and traffic redirection. The public will be notified prior to these changes.
Secondly, the rehabbing of the existing sanitary sewer system will begin. This will be less intrusive to the residents than the other areas of construction. This will take place throughout the entire project area, Johnson Street to East Park Avenue. The process used is CIPP or Cured-In-Place-Pipe. They will insert a long tube into the existing sewer lines. It is flexible, small in diameter, and consists of an uncured resin. Once the tube is inserted into the pipe the curing phase takes place. The tube is expanded in place using hot water. The small diameter tube expands to the diameter of the existing pipe and under the pressure and heat of the water, the resin cures or hardens. This essentially forms a new pipe within the existing pipe. This will all take place below ground, so the general public can expect to see a couple of large trucks and vans parked over or next to the sewer manholes in the street. This process does not affect the use of any residents’ sewer system. Residents can however expect to occasionally smell the resin in their home. It will smell like a glue or paint, but will not last for very long periods of time. The contractor will try to alleviate the smell by opening the sewer cleanout next to the home to help vent the odor, when there is a sewer cleanout available. The odor is not hazardous and the resident is encouraged to open the restroom window and close the door when the vehicles are seen in the area or if the odor is present. Once the pipe has cured completely, the water is removed and the contractor reinstates the homes sewer service. This will happen immediately following the curing process to prevent any sewer blockages in the homes sewer connection and this will also happen under ground and not be visible or disturbing to the residents.
As one can see, the Fair Street construction is moving into full speed and there will be lots of changes during this portion of the new construction. Most of the inconveniences will be visual and seem intrusive when the contractor is in front of a home, but the contractor is expected to remain within the city street right of way and be very mindful of each property. In the event that dirt or material is placed on one’s property beyond the right of way, the inspector or city official will have the contractor remove it and clean it up. With the cooperation of everyone that is affected by this construction, Sikes Brothers Construction can move as quickly as possible through this phase of construction and into the next phase of construction where things begin to be made new again.
We are very appreciative of you r patience and understanding thus far and respectfully ask for your continued support. If you have any questions or concerns, please give us a call at City Hall at 912-367-8300.
Thank you.
___________________________________________________________
FAIR STREET CONSTRUCTION UPDATE
June 15, 2017
Sikes Brothers Construction has mobilized construction equipment and material to Baxley and the Fair Street project. They have arranged to use a parcel of property at the intersection of Kent Street and Fair Street as their material storage area.
Sikes Brothers Construction will begin construction on the sanitary sewer throughout the project area this week and continue in the following weeks. They have started with some preliminary layout work as well as cutting the street in preparation for excavation. The next stage in this process will be installing new sanitary sewer manholes followed by localized point repairs on the existing sanitary sewer mains designated by the engineer. The excavation is set to begin on June 19, 2017. This process will impact traffic conditions to the extent of periodic stops or delays and redirecting traffic around the work using just one lane, or possible use of connecting streets to detour around the work if necessary. You can expect to see localized areas of dirt piles and at times deep holes in the street prior to installing the manholes or spot repairing the sewer main. After the installation or repair is complete, the areas will be back-filled with dirt and/or clay and gravel. These areas will remain in this condition for most of the duration of the project, until the street is ready to be resurfaced. Expect there to be some bumps or unevenness, however the construction crew is required to maintain these areas to keep them in suitable, safe travel condition.
Once the point repairs are complete, the sanitary sewer work will move into the CIPP (Cured in Place Pipe) or lining process that will be explained and updated prior to the work beginning. Sikes Brothers Construction will then move to the water system and storm water drainage system work. Details on the processes and its impact on the residents and traffic conditions will be updated prior to beginning the work.
Again, the City of Baxley, the Engineer, and the construction workers asks for your cooperation and patience throughout this process. Together we will try to minimize the inconvenience within our control.
If you have any questions, we encourage you to give us a call at City Hall, 912-367-8300
__________________________________________________________________
FAIR STREET CONSTRUCTION UPDATE
APRIL 6, 2017
The City of Baxley held a well-attended informational meeting on March 21st concerning the upcoming Fair Street project which includes street and sidewalks, storm drainage, and water/sewer improvements. The Mayor and Council along with the City Manager and other City staff were in attendance. Also attending was Carl Hofstadter and John Fry of Hofstadter and Associates (City Civil Engineers), Jay and Karl Owens with Sikes Brothers (Contractor), and many residents/property owners and interested citizens. Both the Engineers and the Contractor talked about the project and how it would unfold, as well as answered many questions from those in attendance. The notice to proceed date given to the Contractor was March 27th, 2017, and is a nine month (270 days) contract. In the initial couple of months it was noted that you will not see a lot of heavy construction, but will see a lot of surveying/markings and camera equipment that will actually video and assess the condition of the underground utilities. As discussed, once construction begins, Fair Street will be closed to through traffic and will be one way only, while maintaining safe travel for residents and businesses alike. It was emphasized that this would be a very long and disruptive project involving a lot of excavation with very large equipment and that SAFETY for workers, residents and those that must travel along this corridor will be paramount. Over 90% of this project is being funded by SPLOST revenues already collected. The contract amount was $1,915,490.65. If anyone has any questions about the project whether now or later, please contact City Manager Jeff Baxley at City Hall at 912-367-8300 or 912-240-7098 (cell), or email him at jbaxley@atc.cc . Additional updates will follow as the project progresses. The City of Baxley thanks you in advance for your patience and understanding.
