Blair Ave reconstruction delayed by unexpected snags underground

A crew member with Mike Carlson Enterprises works on the Blair Avenue road construction project Aug. 27. Crews worked overtime to install sidewalks by the opening of the school year.

image credit: Journal photo / Dennis Box

The Blair Avenue district road construction project was in high gear last week as crews worked to complete sidewalks on the west side of the avenue before the opening of the school year.

The $1.4 million dollar project has been held up by a number of snags during the summer.

According to a press release sent by Mike Carlson, president of the construction company Mike Carlson Enterprises, the delays included, Our crews have had to uncover, remove and replace generations of both active and abandoned utility piping, conduits and wires often intermixed with roots, clay, rocks and other unsuitable materials. It is extremely difficult to predict how long it takes to do this type of work safely and without causing interruptions to other utility services. These conditions have adversely impacted our schedule in spite of the fact the project is otherwise going very smoothly.

Carlson stated in the release the curb and gutter work between Guard and Reed/Park Streets was completed Aug. 18.

Beginning Tuesday the crews will remove the existing road base with the, installation of asphalt Sept. 9 and 10 on the block between Guard and Reed/Park, Carlson wrote.

The block between Reed/Park and Spring Street had the road base demolished Aug. 18 with new lights, fiber optic vaults and conduits under the east sidewalk started Aug. 25. Curb and gutters will be installed the week of Sept. 8 and new road base Sept. 22. The asphalt base layer will be installed Sept. 2.

Due to complications in the placement of asphalt pavement during cooler weather we have decided to defer placing the final layer of pavement on this block until next spring as soon as warm weather conditions permit, Carlson wrote.

Carlson wrote because of the, inconvenience this project has caused the folks in our community who use this important section of road. We are all working overtime to deliver the project to the Town of Friday Harbor as quickly as we possibly can.

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Blair Ave reconstruction delayed by unexpected snags underground