Corning Solano Street Project anticipated completion Oct. 7

Sep. 27—Several unanticipated setbacks have put the Solano Street Improvement Project back more than four weeks than its original completion date.

Rain, broken equipment, located unground utility/water lines not on the blueprints, and most notably the revision of project plans have put the project on temporary hold several times over the past two months.

According to City Planning Consultant Robin Kampmann, after a lengthy delay to revise project plans, the Solano Street Improvement Project started working again at the Fifth Street and Sixth Street intersections last week.

"Solano Street will remain closed to through traffic between Third Street and West Street until Oct. 7," she said. "Local business on Solano Street and the adjacent cross streets are open for business. Please be considerate of the limited parking spaces in the area and leave those spaces for the downtown business customers if possible."

The first delay came back in August during construction on the project's Fourth Street and Solano Street intersection when it was discovered the original plan to improve the roadway's rollercoaster-like undulations was inadequate due to unforeseen soil conditions.

That required the city go back to the drawing board and find a solution in cooperation with Walberg, Inc. Construction, which holds the project contract with the city, and Psomas, the project consultant and construction management.

On Aug. 18 the City Council held an emergency meeting during which the council voted unanimously to approve a project change order in the amount not to exceed $178,541 for Walberg and $37,027 for Psomas for the completion of the project at the Solano Street intersections with Fifth and Sixth streets.

The newly negotiated contract covers removal of existing fabric at the intersections, lowering utilities as the intersections, cement treat and rough grade and place, compact and grade of aggregate base.

Other changes to the project include an increase to 7 inches of hot mix asphalt at the intersections, increased traffic control, changing the original concrete stamped crosswalks to hot mix asphalt stamped crosswalks and full depth reclamation.

The work started on Tuesday, July 5 with Walberg carrying out the improvements to repair problems from the original 2016 Solano Streetscape Project.

During work at the Fourth and Solano streets intersection, Walberg had dug up the intersection, replaced the base and was getting ready to pour the hot-mix asphalt when the Psomas consultant and the project engineer decided the project required a greater depth of both the base rock and asphalt.

The improvement project will include repair work to the undulations in the road at the three intersections, 12 decorative solar streetlights, 10 decorative street signs with poles and new sidewalk and planters.

Originally it was anticipated the project would be completed by the end of August, requiring closures to parts of Solano Street at the specified intersections and detours for motorists. Due to delays, that timeline has been extended.

To date, the intersection at Fourth and Solano is finished, and roadwork at Fifth and Sixth streets is near completion.

Sidewalk flower beds along Solano Street between Fourth and Sixth streets have been planted and square, black flower pots at each corner of the intersections placed and planted.

Kampmann said staff at city hall has looked into the feasibility of getting irrigation water to the proposed decorative street light locations for the potential of future hanging planters. "Since the proposed lights are surface mounted and do not required excavation at this time staff has determined that the irrigation can be tied into the existing irrigation at the tree wells and extended without causing damage to the existing concrete," she added.

The majority of funding for the repair project is coming through a lawsuit the city filed against Trent Construction, general contractor on the original streetscape project, and Ed Anderson, the town's former engineer.

"If repair costs exceed what is provided through litigation and settlement, those costs will need to be funded from the city's general fund," Miller said. She explained the city funding will be not come from Measure A revenues.

Walberg, Inc., was the winning bidder for the project at $979,105, with $44,900 in additive bid items to be paid with Measure A funds.

The city, as plaintiff, is claiming Trent Construction, and Anderson, who prepared the plans and specifications for the project, failed in their duties and left Solano Street in worse condition than what it was previous to the project.

The case, filed in November 2018, has not been litigated in Tehama County Superior Court, but had a change of venue and moved to Colusa County Superior Court.