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Commissioner Jeff Rader
Manuel J. Maloof Center
1300 Commerce Drive
5th Floor
Decatur, GA 30030
(404) 371-2863
jrader@co.dekalb.ga.us
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| Public Works Update |
| Oct 10, 2005 |
Construction Projects:
Buford Highway sidewalks and safety improvements, from Shallowford Terrace in Chamblee to I-285 in Doraville, was awarded to CW Matthews construction, for about $5.3 million. The date for substantial completion of the project is July 31, 2006.
The new sidewalk is complete on the south side of Pangborn Road from Kahanna Drive to the Railroad Bridge; and on the west side of Oak Grove, from Woodleaf Lane to LaVista Road.
Work has started on a new sidewalk on the second phase of Pangborn Road, on the south side of the road, from the Railroad Bridge to Country Square Lane.
We will also be repairing sidewalks and installing ADA ramps along the east and west sides of North Peachtree Road, from Brookhurst Drive to Barclay Drive; this work is expected to be completed by November 8.
Roads & Drainage crews are about 15% complete with a state grant-funded sidewalk they are constructing on LaVista Road from the Fulton County line going east about 3,300 feet.
The Briarwood bridge replacement, at North Fork Peachtree Creek, being constructed by C W Matthews Contracting, is about 60% complete. They have finished the bridge deck and are working on the approaches and a large retaining wall. The project was slightly behind schedule, due to utility conflicts, but the contractor has been working six 10-hour days each week for the last couple of months, in order to catch up and meet the December 2005 contract completion date.
The first two projects in the Governor's Fast Forward signal synchronization program for DeKalb County have been awarded by GDOT, to Bass Signal Corporation, one being an $800,000 project to upgrade the signals on Briarcliff Road (S.R. 42); the contract completion date for this project is April 30, 2006.
Other DOT-funded projects on schedule to bid in 2006:
Lawrenceville Highway at I-285 interchange reconstruction has also been placed on the March 2006 letting schedule by GDOT; this project is in the right-of-way phase. It will be aggressive if GDOT can complete the difficult amounts of right-of-way needed to bid both of these interchanges by March 2006.
Ponce de Leon Avenue at Hambrick, and Ponce de Leon Avenue at McLendon; turn lane construction and signal upgrades to improve traffic safety and efficiency; right-of-way acquisition by the County is underway. There are 3 parcels from these two projects up for condemnation at the Board of Commissioners in October. The critical path issue will be CSX Railroad execution of right-of-way documents. The projects are both currently on schedule to bid by GDOT in March 2006.
The contracted water main replacement work, being done by Materials & Metals Engineers, Inc., is wrapping up in the Laurel Ridge Drive and Mount Olive Drive area; October 30 is their target date for completion of punch list items; Charles McKinney, Roy Barnes, Rudy Chen and the contractor's representatives met with several area residents on September 20 to discuss neighborhood concerns and to commit to an action plan and timeline for addressing them. The contractor has also started on Embry Circle, Embry Hills Drive, and will next be working on Alton Road, Chase Road and David Road.
The Storm Water Utility staff in Roads & Drainage completed 29 more critical projects in September 2005. One of the recent major repairs include North Akin Drive.
They also completed a pipe bursting project on a deteriorated metal culvert under Briarcliff Road, to prevent road closure that a traditional excavation and replacement project would entail. The new pipe is pulled through the location of the existing old pipe, and the old pipe is pulled out.
Efficiency:
We received the paperwork from the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) for a Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) grant for acquisition and demolition of 32 condominium units in the Jackson Square complex on Buford Highway at North Fork Peachtree Creek. The federal grant is for $3.8 million, with a local match of $ 1.2 million. We will process this paperwork through the Board of Commissioners for approval, along with appropriation of the local match, and then coordinate execution of the agreement with GEMA. When that process is completed, we should receive a notice to proceed from the state for the County to begin the appraisal and buying process.
Environmental Quality:
The new subscription curbside recycling program is up to about 640 households signed up. Several neighborhood associations, working with Commissioner Gannon, Public Education Specialist Andrew Sullivan, and the Sanitation Division staff, have been actively marketing the new program, and its benefits in preserving landfill space for the future. |
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