The Pagosa Springs Main Street Advisory Committee sent out an update on the upcoming Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) project that will occur over the next two or three years — the replacement of the asphalt highway surface through downtown Pagosa with a new concrete surface. The project will also involve new sidewalks and replacement of underground utilities.
From the ‘Cone Zone’ update:
During our second community meeting on March 12, CDOT Regional Communications Manager Lisa Schwantes provided a project update and answered questions. The RFP for the Pagosa reconstruction project was released for bids on March 7 and will close on March 28. CDOT management will review the submissions and select a prime contractor. This process typically takes 2–3 weeks to finalize the contract.
Next, CDOT will hold a pre-construction meeting with the selected contractor 30 days before they start work to review required documents, such as a safety plan, traffic control plan, and construction phasing plans. CDOT is in the final stages of hiring a Project Information Officer (PIO) and assembling the management team.
We hope to introduce the PIO and management team during the next meeting on April 16 at 4:30pm.
The update also included a summary of the questions posed to CDOT during the March 12 community meeting, and the answers to those questions. Note that when CDOT uses the term “2-season project” they mean “two years with a break during the winter months”:
• Why does CDOT let the contractor have a say in how the project is phased?
Answer: CDOT does not direct the means and methods in how a project gets constructed. CDOT only dictates the specifications for the final project. However, CDOT and contractors are partners, and some of our specifications include when the contractor can work and how much impact to traffic can happen. So it’s a balance between CDOT and the contractor on the phasing.
• Can CDOT dictate project phasing as far as only impacting a few blocks at a time?
Answer: We could, but if we did it would draw the project out to even more construction seasons. It could possibly draw the project out to 4 seasons (late spring to fall) and increase the cost to the point that CDOT could not complete the project.
• Can the CDOT engineers explain the RFP and contract process to the main street stakeholders?
Answer: RFP – Request for Proposals – This is for professional services or engineering/design services. CDOT identifies the scope of work to be completed and the evaluation criteria for the proposals. We usually look at key personnel, similar project experience, and expertise of the personnel proposed. Once we receive proposals they are evaluated against the criteria. Sometimes we will interview firms as well. After both the evaluation and interviews we select the best qualified proposer.
CDOT Construction Contracting: We put together construction plans and project specifications. Contractors bid and must be pre-qualified to bid with CDOT. Our pre-qualification process ensures the contractor can complete the work and has the necessary bonding capacity for the project. CDOT accepts the lowest qualified bidder. It takes a few weeks to get a contract signed and notice to proceed issued after the bids are opened. Then we hold a pre-construction meeting with the contractor 30 days before they start work, at which we review required documents, such as a safety plan, traffic control plan, and construction phasing plans. As things come up on projects, we often have contract modifications, which allow us to work with the contractor to change the contract.
• In the project contracts (PM and PC), are there time frames set and penalties if the contractor does not meet project deadlines and expectations?
Answer: Yes, the contractor will have 382 working days to complete the work. If they do not complete the work in that time, CDOT has the ability to charge liquidated damages.
• Who runs the project and who will be accountable once the bids are awarded?
Answer: The Project Management team will be the eyes and ears of the project and report back to CDOT. We have not selected that team yet, however, once the team is established the Public Information Manager will be your first point of contact with any project-related questions or concerns. Ultimately, everyone works for CDOT and CDOT is accountable and holds both teams accountable.
• Who from CDOT will negotiate the contract with the awarded contractor?
Answer: It’s a combined effort of the Resident Engineer, Program Engineer, and Region Transportation Director.
• Who is our primary point of contact for questions and comments between now and when a public information manager is assigned to the project?
Answer: Please contact Kathleen McFadden by phone or email and she will act as the project liaison between The Main Street Team and the CDOT Communications Manager Lisa Schwantes.
• At this point in the process, can stakeholders suggest project limitations be added to the contract?
Answer: We are listening to the stakeholders, and welcome suggestions, but CDOT cannot guarantee we will add those limitations to the contract.
• I don’t want to go above Julie, however I feel that these contracts should be retracted and rewritten with business owner input on phasing limitations. Who do I need to bring my requests to?
Answer: The recommended course of action is to continue working with Julie and CDOT team as we move forward. Phasing limitations, such as only two blocks at a time, could increase the length of the project. It could go
from a 2-season project to a 4-season project. (One season is typically late spring to fall.) This could also increase the cost of the project to the point that CDOT could not afford to construct the project. Additionally, the longer the project the more impact on the businesses and town as a whole.
• The livelihood of downtown businesses is dependent on the tourist foot traffic during June, July, and August. Can construction teams minimize the impacts on pedestrian traffic during these months?
Answer: We will work through the phasing plan and work with the contractor to see what can be done on this account. The current limitations involve maintaining pedestrian access.
• Since we are one of the few businesses that have utilities including thermal piping under the sidewalk, is my sidewalk going to be torn apart for two years straight?
Answer: The CDOT project will not require this.
• Redoing the sidewalks and the road is going to be very disruptive to our business. Why is Pagosa piggybacking off CDOT’s project to get sidewalks completed?
Answer (from Town staff): During construction, we will still try to have a usable section of sidewalk close to the width you are seeing now. Benefits of coordinating the projects include that we will only be disrupting the
businesses once and we can save on traffic control prices. CDOT is requiring additives in the concrete to help speed up the setting times.
• We have seen projects in Monte Vista and GJ that work on 4-6 blocks at a time and in our opinion, this will destroy business livelihood. How much say does Julie Constan have in making sure our opinions are heard and the construction phasing is limited to 1-2 blocks at a time while leaving some main street parking in close proximity to the affected blocks? Can the block limitations be added to the contract?
Answer: Phasing limitations, such as only two blocks at a time, could increase the length of the project. It could go from a 2-season project to a 4-season project. This could also increase the cost of the project to the point
that CDOT could not afford to construct the project. Additionally, the longer the project the more impact on the businesses and town as a whole.
• I heard that the McCabe Creek Project was delayed because the state was pulling the contractor away to prioritize the completion of other projects in different areas. What is CDOT going to do to make sure that doesn’t happen on this project?
Answer: The reason the McCabe Creek project took 3 seasons was due to high spring runoffs, and large summer monsoon rains. This project involved a lot of work in the McCabe Creek Channel that could not be
completed during these larger water events. Please know that once the contractor starts on this project they will be required to keep working and only allowed a winter shutdown.
Bill Hudson began sharing his opinions in the Pagosa Daily Post in 2004 and can’t seem to break the habit. He claims that, in Pagosa Springs, opinions are like pickup trucks: everybody has one.