BEACON FALLS — Three major road projects are moving forward at different speeds.
In July, voters authorized bonding up to $2.1 million for repairs to Burton Road, Highland Avenue and Noe Place.
On Monday, the Board of Selectmen awarded a contract for the work on Noe Place to Cocchiola Paving Inc. of Oakville for $223,000. The work encompasses the entire length of the 800-foot street. It includes removal of the median in the road, installing a drainage system and a complete reclamation of the asphalt.
The only other bid received for the repairs to Noe Place was from Brookfield-based A & J Construction for $258,000. Town Engineer Jim Galligan had originally estimated the work to cost $155,000.
First Selectman Christopher Bielik said the bids were reviewed by the Northford-based engineering firm Nafis & Young, which found the bid from Cocchiola Paving to be “mathematically correct and proper.”
Bielik said, in a subsequent interview, a start date had not been discussed with the company since the bid was just awarded. He hopes the work can begin soon.
Burton Road is slated to be completely repaved and the drainage system will be reconstructed along the road.
The town received one bid to repave the road. The bid, which was opened Tuesday, came from Highway Rehabilitation Corporation out of Brewster, N.Y. for $182,760. The bid, which doesn’t cover the drainage work, came in about $30,000 less than expected.
Bielik said the town originally believed it would only be able to do “heat-in-place” pavement reclamation on a portion of Burton Road and the rest would have to be mechanically reclaimed, which is more expensive. However, he said, Highway Rehabilitation Corporation determined that the entire road could be reclaimed through heat.
The Board of Selectmen has to meet to approve the bid from Highway Rehabilitation Corporation.
The work on Highland Avenue has not gone out to bid yet due to concerns raised by residents.
Bielik said the board and Galligan met with residents recently to discuss their concerns.
According to Bielik, Highland Avenue residents are worried about the placement of the water shut-off valves and the telephone poles. The water shut-off valves and telephone poles are currently in the street. As part of the project, they will be moved on to the sidewalks.
In Beacon Falls, it is the responsibility of the residents to ensure sidewalks are maintained. Residents are afraid that with the valves on the sidewalks workers will damage the sidewalks more often, Bielik said.
The proposal also calls for the road to be widened and the telephone poles to be moved back onto the sidewalk.
“If we move them off the street and onto sidewalks, then the residents will lose a little of their front yard. Their preference would be to keep the poles in road,” Bielik said.
The town is concerned that if the poles are left on the street and an accident happens, it would be held liable.
Officials plan to meet with Highland Avenue residents again at 7 p.m. Aug. 19 at the Town Hall. The town doesn’t plan to go out to bid for the work until after meeting.
