LAKE FOREST PARK — As many drivers have likely noticed by now — due to a lack of construction — the Forest Park Drive repair project is delayed.
Construction, which was originally slated to begin by late June or early July, is expected to begin in early September and be completed by the end of October, said city engineer Neil Jensen.
The project was pushed back, Jensen said, due to engineering delays. Jensen declined to elaborate on what types of delays.
“We had originally intended to start construction earlier in the summer, but had unavoidable delays,” Jensen said. “We had some things we had to clear up with a consultant.”
The construction area is between 19th and 25th streets NE. The project is fully designed by ECG, Inc., and plans include the installation of a mechanically stabilized earth wall. According to Jensen, such a structure is basically layers of geotechnical fabric with backfill material between the layers.
The project was advertised in July and the bid was awarded Aug. 12 to Wilder Construction, Inc., of Everett for $198,744. The budget includes $400,000 for the project, and Jensen said this money will also be used to cover the costs of the engineering consultant and inspection, among other costs.
“We have a total budget of $400,000, but we hope to complete it for less than $400,000,” Jensen said. “We got good bids. The engineer’s estimate was more than the low bid, so we are on target.”
When construction does begin, Forest Park Drive will be closed at the immediate work zone, Jensen said.
The landslides that closed part of Forest Park Drive occurred Nov. 21 and Dec. 14, 2001, after a series of rain storms took out a small portion of the roadway.
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