By Diane Petryk
The Daily Item
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SUNBURY — Low initial bids — about $1.2 million less than expected — may allow for extras in the city’s riverfront project.
Bids were awarded in the spring, but city officials have not spoken publicly about the difference in the project costs compared with the amount allocated for the project. Asked by The Daily Item about the discrepancy Wednesday, city officials said that project officials are now eyeing a Bainbridge Street pier enhancement that might include a stone-look overlay on the pier, railings, and a sail-like canopy.
“It would be magnificent for visitors just coming over the bridge,” said project manager Tom Deans.
The idea revisits a part of the original project that was designed, but later eliminated to make sure the two-phase project stayed within its $9 million budget.
To date, about $7.8 million of the grant money is committed. That’s $2.1 million for the trail project on the city side of the wall and $4.2 million for riverbank stabilization, plus pier, marina, trail and amphitheater installations on the river side of the flood wall. And $1.5 million is committed for engineering, bringing the total to $7.8 million.
There have been some change orders and additions.
The Sunbury Municipal Authority requested upgrading pipes serving the river side of the wall, from PVC to galvanized metal, at a cost of $67,879; and PPL costs added $80,000 for relocating power poles and lines to accommodate the trail enhancement project.
These and other changes were manageable due to the low initial bids. There is breathing room.
“This project is looking good in terms of dollars,” Councilman Jim Eister said Wednesday.
That’s why the Bainbridge work is looking very possible, he said.
It is estimated to cost about $175,000, Deans said.
Nothing, however, will be done to advance that work until the shoreline rip rap repair and WPA wall repair are complete. The rip rap eroded because of the wave action of boats when the Susquehanna River is turned into Lake Augusta by inflation of the fabridam each summer.
The WPA wall, the last line of defense before the floodwall, is a victim of time.
Engineers recently surveyed the wall and marked sections that need a lot, a modest amount, and a minor amount of repair, Deans said. Then they estimated the amount of stones that would be needed for those repairs.
“Still, it couldn’t be precise,” Deans said.
That’s why the work will have to be substantially complete before anyone knows how much money will remain for extras.
While the WPA wall is being worked on now, the rip rap is underwater and work on it must wait until the water level drops sometime in mid-October.
“Stabilization of the shoreline is number one,” Eister said.
If the Bainbridge pier can be enhanced, it will be done by a change order to the construction firm handling the riverside work, HRI Inc. of Bloomsburg.
-- E-mail comments to dianepetryk@dailyitem.com
