It costs twice as much when private contractors do roadwork compared to the cost of state Department of Transportation workers, but at the height of construction season, there is no way state workers can get all the projects done, a PennDOT spokesman said Tuesday. The federal stimulus program added $45 million to the $120 million budget for highway projects in the nine-county area in PennDOT's District 3, which includes the Central Susquehanna Valley, according to Rick Mason, spokesman at the district's Montoursville office. "That's added about 45 new projects this year," Mason said. That's an increase of about 33 percent over the usual number of projects in the region. Fortunately, highway contractors were able to handle the extra work, offering competitive bids. According to Mason, PennDOT county maintenance crews have been working hard as well. Recent night pavement repairs on Routes 11-15 in Hummels Wharf and Monroe Township were accomplished by county crews, for example, and the current paving projects on Driesbach Church Road and the New Berlin Mountain Road in Union County are also county crew projects. PennDOT district officials determine whether a job will be done in-house or given to contractors, said Ken Klingerman, district contract management engineer at Montoursville. PennDOT maintenance crews are not trained or equipped to build $50 million bridges or undertake $35 million interstate highway rehabilitations, for example. According to Wayne Frey, district construction services engineer, "Our maintenance trucks are built to haul salt and plow snow. Our contractors' trucks are built to haul blacktop." However, Klingerman said, maintenance crews do undertake resurfacing projects. They build smaller bridges, apply seal coats and perform shoulder cutting, crack sealing and pothole patching. More extensive projects, such as the paving on Route 522 between Selinsgrove and Middleburg, paving on Route 45 west of Lewisburg, and the upcoming extensive rehabilitation of Park Road in Monroe Township are being handled by contractors. Asked to compare the costs per mile, Mason said side-by-side comparisons are difficult due to several factors. "There's one cost for seal coating, which is oil and chip, and another for more involved work, such as drainage improvements and guiderail repairs along with repaving," he said. A typical seal-coat job costs about $10,000 per mile, Mason said, while a full-blown resurfacing project by a contractor may run as much as $180,000 to $250,000 per mile. Resurfacing by county maintenance forces runs from $119,000 to $138,000 per mile. The Route 522 project, which will also include paving on Route 35 from Selinsgrove to Freeburg, cost about $2.4 million for the entire 9-plus miles, Mason said. That's about $267,000 per mile. On Route 45 in Union County, a 1.5 mile paving project cost $460,000, or about $271,000 per mile. Among factors affecting the cost is whether the contract requires weekend or night work, Mason said. When the bid documents are prepared, the work parameters are laid out for the bidders, and it's up to them to factor those in the cost. Sometimes, after a contract has been awarded, the contractor and PennDOT will agree to modify the work schedule. The recently completed rehabilitation of the Route 11-Water Street underpass area in Northumberland is a good example. The original document required the contractor to work six days a week, 12 hours a day for three weeks, but at a post-bid conference, in response to community concerns, the contractor proposed to work around the clock to complete the project as quickly as possible. That change was approved, and the work was completed in two weeks. Neil Smith, general manager of the construction division of Eastern Industries in Winfield, said projects are bid by calculating the amount of time, materials and personnel necessary to complete a job. "We refer to previous jobs of similar nature and scope," he said. Smith said bid documents include a completion date, and it's up to the bidders to figure out a work schedule that will meet the completion date. If special conditions, like night or weekend work, are imposed, the contractors are aware of them going in. According to Klingerman, projects are generally let to the lowest qualified bidder. However, if a contractor fails to submit disadvantaged/minority/women goals, the bid is deemed incomplete, or if the bid is too high and funds are not available to cover it, the bid may be rejected. After the bid has been accepted, it is sometimes necessary to change some part of the project, and that is done through a change order process, although contractors are not allowed to make changes after the bids have been opened, Klingerman said.
News
Related Photos
-
Matthew Harris/The Daily Item
Discussion
- News
-
-
Raw milk remains popular, despite illnesses
WASHINGTON — The popularity of unpasteurized raw milk remains strong despite warnings from public health officials about its dangers and outbreaks of bacterial infections. In the latest case untreated contaminated milk from a Pennsylvania farm has sickened 38 people on the East Coast. It's a reminder of the risks of consuming milk bottled straight from the cow.
-
State Supreme Court explains legislative redistricting decision
HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania Supreme Court today explained its reasons for rejecting the state's legislative redistricting plan last week, and a justice who disagreed with the ruling said this year's races will have to be held under the existing, decade-old maps.
-
Heinz Endowments fund Flight 93 oral histories
PITTSBURGH — A project to compile oral histories of those connected to the crash of hijacked United Airlines Flight 93 will continue for at least the next three years due to a $225,000 grant from The Heinz Endowments.
-
LARA looks ahead
LEWISBURG -- The Lewisburg Community Pool and spring and summer schedule of events are the big concerns these days for those running the Lewisburg Area Recreation Authority. Officials are confident they finally have the regional recreation authority's financial situation under control.
-
Wirth not first driver to face murder charge
LEWISBURG -- Christopher Wirth isn't the first person to face a third-degree murder charge in connection with a fatal crash in Union County. "A death involving a vehicle can support third-degree murder depending on the acts of the subject," District Attorney D. Peter Johnson said Thursday.
-
Bumpy ride for prison officers
SUNBURY -- It's been a rough week for two Northumberland County Prison commanders who were suspended without pay, had their wages reinstated, were laid off and then rehired. On Monday, Brian Wheary was suspended without pay from his $36,030-a-year position as commander. By Thursday, the 37-year-old was back on the job.
-
Reality TV star ready for visit
SHAMOKIN -- Ron Shirley has never been to Shamokin, has never been to the Valley at all, but he has an idea of what's waiting for him here. "The only thing I expect is to meet friendly, honest people," said Shirley, a star of the hit Tru TV reality series, "Lizard Lick Towing."
-
Masser to seek 2nd term
ELYSBURG -- State Rep. Kurt Masser, a Republican from Elysburg, announced Thursday that he will seek a second term representing the 107th Legislative District in the state House. "I am pleased to announce that I will be seeking a second term to represent the people of our area," he said. "We've accomplished a lot in our first term, but there is so much more to do. I want to keep being an independent voice for our community in Harrisburg."
-
West Milton man arraigned on robbery charges
A West Milton man is the second suspect in an armed robbery at a West Buffalo Township convenience store Saturday night. Michael Gulli, 41, of 310 Broad St., was arrested by Milton state police who said Gulli was involved in pointing a gun at two employees of the Forest Hill Store, on Buffalo Road, in Union County, and threatening to kill them.
-
Show guns for 1,500
LEWISBURG -- Hundreds of long rifles and other Colonial weapons that helped win the Revolutionary War and forge a nation will be on display -- and some, for sale -- today through Saturday at the fifth annual 18th Century Artisan Show.
-
VIDEO: Social media command center helps Super Bowl visitors
Indianapolis is the first Super Bowl host city to utilize the power of Twitter and other social media to help football fans get the most out of football's biggest event.
-
Tim Burns drops out of U.S. Senate race
HARRISBURG — An entrepreneur from southwestern Pennsylvania is dropping out of the race for U.S. Senate now that the Republican Party has endorsed another candidate.
- More News Headlines
-
