By Gail Peckler-Dziki
Correspondent
The Town of Randall road improvement project is concentrating this year on the northwest quadrant of the town, the oldest part, which, you guessed, it, has the oldest roads. The section on 93rd Street is near completion. Along with improved road surface, the tree canopy has been cleared from over the road.
According to Ken Ward, town engineer from Rukert Mielke, the tree canopy that covers the road causes the road to degrade more quickly. Along with tree trimming to remove branches overhanging the road, about 40 trees were removed. Most of them were scrub or non-decorative trees.
Next on the list is the Knolls Subdivision. The board received two bids for the project and accepted the lowest bid from B.R. Ammon and Sons of $959,858. The other bid was from Payne and Dolan at $1.4 million.
Ammon did the work on 93rd Street and the general board consensus was that it is a good job. Knolls resident Charlie Gitzinger questioned what appeared to be the added depth of the ditches.
Ward explained, “That’s how deep the ditches were originally. They were cleaned out.”
He further explained that deep ditches were needed not because there is a water problem, but to protect the roadbed.
“When ditches are too shallow,” Ward said, “water sits in the ditch level to the roadbed. The water is absorbed into the soil and moves into the roadbed and the road will fail.”
The work in the Knolls will include tree trimming to remove the canopy over the road. Only four trees must be removed. There will be less ditch work, since the Knolls has a storm water system that in operating fairly well. Dry wells will also be installed and speed bumps replaced.
Gitzinger asked why the cost of a speed bump is $2,000. Ward explained that about 20 tons of asphalt is used in the speed bump and the process is labor intensive.
“Ramps up to the speed bump must be laid,” he said, “and the top is flat. They are constructed like this to allow for snowplowing.”
There are two triangle intersections in the Knolls. The large one will be kept but the small will be converted into a T-intersection. The parking area by the beach will be improved also.
The work will start soon and the contract has a deadline of Tuesday, Nov. 15 with an $800 a day penalty for every day past the deadline. If there are extenuating circumstances, the company can request an extension.
Some roads will receive only a two-inch overlay of asphalt. On some roads, the asphalt will be pulverized and used as a bed for a new four-inch layer of asphalt and some roads will need to be completely replaced.
Maps showing plans for exact sites are available for viewing at the village hall. A link to the Rukert Mielke website will be on the town website.