Hippity. Hoppity. Holmes Beach traffic woes may be ending just as the Easter bunny arrives.
City engineer Sage Kamiya told The Islander March 30 that Sarasota-based C-Squared CGC Inc. was set to reopen Gulf Drive by April 7 but he added that the contractor has more work to do, including paving, which will add another week.
The $3,001,460.85 project involves improving drainage infrastructure and adding bicycle lanes, sidewalks, crosswalks, street lighting and landscaping from the intersection of Gulf and Marina drives to the 5600 block of Marina.
That section of Marina Drive was closed when construction began last September and reopened in December after the contractor installed and improved four stormwater drainage pipeline crossings, repaved the road and added stretches of new curbing and sidewalk — although it is not finished.
In recent weeks, the contractor planted trees and began to landscape the corridor, as well as added sections of new curbing and paver sidewalks alongside the roadway.
While Marina Drive reopened last December, Gulf Drive was closed from its intersection with Marina to the intersection with Holmes Boulevard so C-Squared could complete improvements.
Since then, the contractor has installed drainage pipes along the north and south sides of Gulf Drive and has almost finished rebuilding the roadway.
Kamiya said C-Squared was set to complete major roadwork on Gulf Drive the same week, and then repave the road by the end of the next week.
“It’s getting really close,” Kamiya said. “There’s still going to be some small stuff that needs to be done. … But the significant stuff will be done the week after next.”
For businesses in the area, the peak of the tourist season is normally Easter, which this year falls on April 9 — and the project won’t be finished by then.
After Gulf Drive reopens, the project will be in its final stages — but at least a part of that might take some time to finish.
Kamiya said new light poles for the corridor were on backorder and may not be installed until May or June.
Mayor Judy Titsworth said the city also was trying to work with property owners on adding a small length of sidewalk to connect the new city center sidewalk to the one that runs to the south along Gulf Drive.
Nightly closure ordered for county project
Meanwhile, work this week on Manatee County’s force main 1 project will stretch into the night.
Marina Drive was to be closed 6 p.m.-6 a.m. April 3-7 so Sarasota-based Spectrum Underground could complete a force main tie-in that runs from Holmes Boulevard along 58th Street to a lift station on the east side of Marina, in front of city hall, according to county information outreach manager Bill Logan.
The project involves replacing 4,000 feet of 16-inch force main along Holmes Boulevard and 1,100 feet of 8-inch force main along 58th Street with new PVC pipes.
Work also involves replacing upsizing potable water lines from 2-inch and 4-inch diameters to 6-inch diameter pipes along the stretch.
Replacing the infrastructure is projected to cost the county, which owns and operates the force main, $3,618,672.10.
The project was initially projected to end last November but the timeline has been delayed multiple times due to Hurricane Ian and conflicts and complications related to the city center project.
Logan wrote in a March 31 email to The Islander that Spectrum has completed the installation of a portion of the 16-inch force main, and finished the 8-inch force main from Holmes Boulevard to Marina Drive.
The contractor must still finish installing the 16-inch force main from 54th Street to Gulf Drive, as well as several water line upgrades along Holmes Boulevard, then finally the restoration of the roadway and sidewalks, according to Logan.
Logan wrote that the project is estimated to be completed by the end of September.
“Project coordination and having two projects running at the same time has presented some challenges and has resulted in the county having to make adjustments to the Holmes Boulevard construction schedule,” Logan wrote. “Other issues such as project procurement, hurricane and rain delays have caused the project to be pushed further than anticipated.”