WALDPORT – The city of Waldport has awarded Jesse Rodriguez Construction of Silverton the contract to do the final two phases of the Crestline Drive sidewalk project.
Rodriguez submitted the lowest bids for both phase two — paving at $193,000, and phase three – curbs and lighted crosswalks at $109,000. Phase one, clearing trees and brush along the approximately mile-long route and building a gravel base was awarded in August to Dan Kauffman Excavating of Lincoln City at a cost of $594,000.
Kauffman is expected to begin work in mid-October and finish by Halloween. But Waldport city manager Dann Cutter said if unforeseen issues arise during a preconstruction meeting at the end of September, phase one could be postponed until spring.
Phases two and three are scheduled to begin after school gets out next summer and be completed before students return in the fall.
The project is being paid for by a $1.69 million Oregon Department of Transportation Safe Routes to Schools grant the city was awarded in 2020. The delay in starting the project came down to cost. The initial bid the city received to complete the entire project was $2.7 million. By breaking it down to three phases the project cost is now $896,000.
The sidewalk will run from Crestview Heights School north to Salmon Street or possibly Southeast Ball Boulevard. Leftover funds may go toward adding a sidewalk along the north side of Southwest Range Drive between Crestline and Southwest Masters Drive as well as between the entrances to Crestview and Waldport Middle/High School.
The idea is to connect the schools via sidewalks to heavily student-populated neighborhoods so kids no longer have to dodge cars as they walk or ride bikes in the narrow margins alongside the roads while getting to school.
I hope I live long enough to see it. It will be wonderful. So needed.
Whomever in the city figured out three phases and saved almost $2 million is a genius. Who came up with the plan?