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HomeMy WebLinkAboutINS-13-090 - Margaret Ave Bridge Replacement - Project Timelines REPORT TO: Community and Infrastructure Services Committee DATE OF MEETING: October 21, 2013 SUBMITTED BY: Barbara Robinson, Director, Engineering Services, x PREPARED BY: Steve Allen, Manager Engineering Design and Approvals, x7584 WARD(S) INVOLVED: 10 DATE OF REPORT: October 15, 2013 REPORT NO.: INS-13-090 SUBJECT: Margaret Avenue Bridge Replacement – Project Timelines RECOMMENDATION: Information Only BACKGROUND: The City received a Draft Evaluation of the Margaret Avenue Bridge on June 13, 2013, which recommended that the bridge be closed immediately. The bridge was closed within the hour. Due to the significance On June 26 staff received the Final Evaluation Report from AECOM. of the recommendation, the City retained the services of a second structural engineering consultant, Morrison Hershfield, to review and confirm AECOM’s recommendations. The Peer Review Report was received in July 2013. Morrison Hershfield concurred with AECOM’s recommendations regarding the design and construction of the bridge, and the possibility of abrupt failure. It also supported the decision to shut down the bridge to traffic and pedestrians. Their final report was received in August. On September 9, 2013, staff presented report INS-13-076 to the Committee and Infrastructure Services Committee. It was resolved: “That the recommendation to remove the existing Margaret Avenue Bridge in the near term and initiate an Environmental Assessment to replace it, be approved, as outlined in Infrastructure Services Department report INS-13-076; and, That the reallocation of funds from existing federal gas tax sources for the removal of the existing Margaret Avenue Bridge ($250,000) and the initiation of an Environmental Assessment and predesign to replace it ($150,000), be approved, as outlined in Infrastructure Services Department report dated INS 13-076; and, 5 - 1 That staff be directed to work towards identifying funding sources for a new bridge during the 2014 budget process; and, That the Chief Administrative Officer or designate, be delegated the authority to approve the tender for the removal of the Margaret Avenue Bridge, with a report to be provided on this award at the next regularly scheduled Council meeting; and further, That staff be directed to report back to the October 21, 2013 Community and Infrastructure Services meeting, on a proposed project timeline and identified areas where processes can be expedited to advance the construction schedule for the new bridge”. The tender for the demolition of the bridge was advertised on September 18, 2013 and closed October 3, 2013. Staff awarded the contract to Bel-Air Excavating and Grading on October 9, 2013. The demolition is scheduled to begin October 21, 2013 and be complete by December 2, 2013. The total cost of the award is $499.064.50 of which $107,350.00 is for the temporary gas main support system. REPORT: In order to replace the Margaret Avenue, there are several distinct steps that are required. 1) Environmental Assessment & Preliminary Design The Municipal Class Environmental Assessment document provides guidance on the appropriate selection of the EA class. The class of EA required is largely dependent on the bridge’s age and the cultural heritage value of the bridge. The appropriate selection of the class is also a function of the complexity of the project and it is up to the proponent (the City) to determine the appropriate class based on the specifics of the project. The bridge is over 40 years old (constructed in 1959) and therefore meets the criteria of age to trigger a schedule ‘B’ EA, however preliminary evaluations of the cultural heritage attributes suggests that the structure does not have a high degree of heritage value. This suggests a schedule ‘A’ Class EA is appropriate. Staff intend to complete the EA as a schedule ‘A+’ which has more public notification requirements than an ‘A’ (which has no public notification requirements). EA related requirements can be completed in conjunction with the detailed design, therefore there is no additional time required for an Class ‘A+’ project. As with all EAs, there is a minimal risk that during the early stages of design, information may surface which determines that a schedule ‘B’ EA is more appropriate. Should this happen, there would be a moderately longer period of time to complete the EA prior to starting detailed design activities. However this risk is considered low and there may be opportunities to avoid the EA schedule change by completing additional steps without affecting the project schedule, depending on the source of the issue. 5 - 2 2) Detailed Design Once the preliminary design is complete, the detailed design can be initiated. The activities involved in this would include geotechnical testing for the foundation design, detailed design of the bridge, liason with public, utilities and railway. The time required to complete the detailed design should be approximately 4-6 months. There may be limited opportunities to keep the design period to the shorter end of this projection. The City should procure these services with a specific timeline (4 months) and rely on the industry to determine how best to meet the expedited timelines most cost effectively. It should be noted that there would likely be a premium on the cost for the expedited design services. Due to the time required to procure the design services, the City can explore completing work that the consultant would need to complete. For example, if geotechnical work is required, the City could complete this under a separate ongoing contract during the procurement process. 3) Construction Construction can be initiated once the tender has been awarded, permits are obtained and the appropriate pre-construction documentation has been completed (executed contract, bonding, insurance etc). Current estimates on the length of construction are approximately 8-12 months. This is largely dependent on the complexity of the design and the time of year. Construction through the winter will be slower than in summer months and likely cost more (in the order of 25%). Options for expedited construction can be explored during the detailed design work. As with the design services, any expedited construction methods will likely increase the cost of construction. Proposed Schedule ACTIVITY TIMELINE Advertise for consultant services October 22, 2013 Award consultant services November, 2013 EA Commencement NA – Schedule A+ EA Completion NA – Schedule A+ Detailed Design November 2014 – April 2014 Tendering May 2014 Construction Start June 2014 Construction End Winter/Spring 2015 Summary of Expedited Measures These following expedited measures will be utilized or reviewed further: Complete the project as a Schedule A+ Environmental Assessment Thorough, but shorter public input process 5 - 3 City explore options to complete preliminary work during the consultant procurement process City explore designs that are quicker to construct as well as expedited construction methods Alternatives for Cyclists and Pedestrians The closure of the Margaret Avenue Bridge has presented transportation issues around the bridge particularly with cyclists and pedestrians. Staff have worked with the Cycling Advisory Committee to mitigate the impact of the closure on cyclists. The main concern is how to safely and efficiently re-route cycling traffic around the structure. To accomplish this, it is proposed that special signage will be installed on Margaret Avenue, in advance of the closure, to re-route cyclists and pedestrians along Wellington Street to either Lancaster Street or Duke Street depending on the approximate destination. For example, travelling public heading south towards the bridge on Margaret Avenue, and heading downtown would be re-routed along Wellington toward Duke. For destinations including the Public Library and Centre in the Square, traffic would be re-routed along Wellington towards Lancaster. The detour route would be clearly marked with customized signs and will be complimented by “Share the Road” signs along the routes. Similarly, pedestrians will be directed along Wellington to either St. Ledger or Weber Street, depending on the destination, which represent the shortest ways around the structure. ALIGNMENT WITH CITY OF KITCHENER STRATEGIC PLAN: The replacement of the Margaret Avenue Bridge will continue to contribute to Quality of Life for residents in the City, by investing in infrastructure that will support our future growth. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: Demolition Tender Update The tender for the demolition of the bridge was advertised on September 18, 2013 and closed October 3, 2013. Staff awarded the contract to Bel-Air Excavating and Grading on October 9, 2013. The contract was awarded through the CAO as per council resolution. The total cost of the award is $499,064.50, including HST of which $107,350.00 is attributable to the temporary gas main support system. Five (5) bids were received by the City as follows (includes HST); Bel-Air Excavating and Grading 499.064.50 Budget Environmental 504,940.50 McLean-Taylor 508,632.21 5 - 4 Tri-Phase 728,312.11 Facca Inc. 873,490.00 Bel-Air Excavating and Grading Limited has completed several demolition contracts successfully with other municipalities. Bel-Air has completed work for the City in the past and is currently completing the Schneider Creek Rehabilitation project with satisfactory results. Reference checks of Bel-Air were contacted and no major concerns were noted. It is staff’s opinion that Bel-Air can successfully complete this project. The start of construction has been scheduled for Monday, October 21, 2013, subject to weather and railway approvals. Staff are awaiting the necessary railway permits and are confident that the required approvals st will be in-place by October 21. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: NA ACKNOWLEDGED BY: Pauline Houston, Deputy CAO Infrastructure Services Department 5 - 5