Projected Street Bond Project Costs High

City Will Fall Millions Short If Projections Hold Up

SPRINGDALE — Street projects in the city’s bond program will be completed before deadlines but the city will be short of money if projections hold up.

The members of the City Council Street and Capital Improvement Program Committee were told Monday at its meeting the money could run $3.6 million short. The projection came from estimates made by engineers designing the projects.

By The Numbers

Springdale Street Bond Projects

Project*Cost

Don Tyson Interchange*$20.5 million

Don Tyson Extension*$3.6 million

Don Tyson Widening*$3.2 million

56th Street Widening South of Sunset Avenue*$10.1 million

56th Street Extension to Harber Avenue*$4.9 million

56th Street Extension Harber to Elm Springs Road*$5.8 million

Elm Springs Road Overpass*$1 million

Source: City Of Springdale

Actual construction bids could be lower than estimates, said Alan Pugh, city Engineering Department direction. Bids opened last week for the Don Tyson Interchange on Interstate 540 came in $2 million less than estimates.

“Our bids have been running less than estimates,” said Alderman Jim Reed. “That is what we’ve had for a while.”

In the previous Springdale Street Bond Program, which finished in 2010, the low bid for the last 11 projects were under the engineers’ estimate, according to city records.

The city does have a fallback, if estimates are on target, said Mayor Doug Sprouse.

“If we still fall short, we could look at using more CIP money,” Sprouse said.

The Capital Improvement Program fund, at the end of March, had an unreserved balance of more than $10 million, according to city financial records.

Street projects selected for construction by the City Council will now cost an estimated $49.1 million, according to estimates by project engineers. A bond sale brought in $42.7 million for streets, the same as the original estimate, said Pugh. The city will receive about $2.8 million in federal funds available for the first time this year. That leaves a shortage of $3.6 million.

The city has three years from the time of the bond sale to spend the money raised, according to law. City voters approved the sale in August 2012, with the bond sale coming in November 2012.

Construction for all projects should be under way by the middle of June 2014, leaving more than a year for completion, Pugh said.

Committee members went over the proposed projects individually. The extension of Don Tyson Parkway from Hylton to Habberton roads should be relatively simple, said Terry Carpenter, an engineer with USI Consulting Engineers. USI is designing the extension.

Reed asked for a cost estimate on installing roundabouts at the Hylton and Habberton intersections with Don Tyson.

“Springdale is known as the city of stoplights,” Reed said. “I’d like to see if we can eliminate adding ones at these intersections.”

The widening of Don Tyson between Carly Road and 40th Street will be expensive, Pugh said, because of right of way costs and varying terrain.

Gary King, a landowner who will be affected by the widening, said he was concerned with safety.

Buses pull out of Ham Lane and turn both directions, King said. The view of westbound traffic is limited by a retaining wall, he said.

The city will consider lowering the speed limit there, along with other remedies, Pugh said.

The widening of 56th Street south of Sunset Avenue and its extension north to Elm Springs Road will follow a path where the city already has much of the right of way, Pugh said. Residents near the extension submitted comments asking for some noise barriers.

Sound barriers should be researched, said Alderman Brad Bruns, to make sure they would work in that area.

“We don’t want to throw money away,” Bruns said. “The sound might carry right over in those hills and valleys.”

Sprouse stressed timing is critical for the projects.

“Any way we can shorten that schedule would be beneficial,” Sprouse said. “We need to push as hard as we can to shorten the time frame.”

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