After pulverizing a two-block stretch of asphalt in just a few
days, construction crews overhauling downtown Monterey Street have
hit another snag.
Weather isn’t the culprit this time.
Gilroy – After pulverizing a two-block stretch of asphalt in just a few days, construction crews overhauling downtown Monterey Street have hit another snag.
Weather isn’t the culprit this time. Instead, delays in the Streetscape project are being caused by “unsuitable subterranean conditions encountered throughout the site,” according to City Transportation Engineer Don Dey.
“After we removed the asphalt and the concrete beneath the asphalt, we discovered water in the soil,” Dey said. “That means that in some fashion we have to dry out the soil so we can put pavement back on top of it.”
Wet soil is a problem, Dey explained, because it causes the soil to “pump.”
“If you’re walking on it, it feels like a sponge,” he said. “The more it pumps, the more water comes to the surface and the asphalt and baserock on top would start to crumble.”
The source of the wet soil is unknown, but a city geotechnical engineer is investigating fixes to the problem and officials hope to hear back early next week. The solution could involve techniques used several years ago, when the city encountered an identical problem during an earlier phase of the Streetscape project between Sixth and Seventh streets. At that time, the solution involved a combination of digging up the wet dirt, laying down a lime-treated base and adding extra layers of asphalt to strengthen the pavement.
It remains unclear if the delay will add costs to the $4.1-million project. In some cases, the use of a lime-treated base layer can save money. Dey predicted the latest snag would add days to the project schedule, though the contractor, Golden Bay Construction, of San Carlos, is working on ways to speed up construction.
According to the contract with Golden Bay, the project is supposed to last 150 working days – or roughly seven and a half months. City officials hope to get the work done by late October, in time for the holiday shopping season. An unusually long rain season has already delayed construction several weeks beyond the original start date at the end March.
When the Monterey Streetscape project is complete, businesses will face out onto 15-foot-wide sidewalks with new street lamps and trees, and shoppers will have angled parking on both sides of the street. They also will not have to negotiate a winding median, already torn up as part of initial work.
The city holds weekly meetings on Wednesday to update businesses and residents on the status of the Monterey Street construction. The meetings take place at 9:30am at the Gilroy Chamber of Commerce, 7471 Monterey St.
