The roughly $2.3 million water, sewer and road overhaul of the Paradise Village neighborhood is trucking along, but the project continues to depend on the weather.
“Our contract went through Nov. 13 to get the work complete, which we’re not going to meet because we’ve some setbacks – and a huge setback with (last week’s) weather,” said Cortez Public Works director Phil Johnson.
Crews also have been grappling with retrofitting infrastructure, he said.
Despite the setbacks, utilities, curbs, gutters and sidewalks will be installed by deadline, Johnson said, but road repaving may be delayed if asphalt plants stop production because of the weather.
Residents who have spent the past few months dealing with the construction say they’re eager to see the dust settle.
“This is bordering on insane,” said a frustrated Brookside Drive resident. “We have to park a couple blocks away. I came back in town from a trip and had to walk a few blocks with my luggage.”
So far, water and sewer work on Brookside Drive and sewer work on Aldridge Road are completed. Water mains and sewer tie-ins on Edith Street, Garrison Drive and Livesay Drive and paving on Brookside are scheduled to begin this week.
“All underground utilities should be done by deadline, but we won’t be getting the paving done until after winter hits,” said Johnson. “If the asphalt batch shuts down due to weather, we can’t pave.”
According to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Association, El Niño is strengthening and is likely to peak in late fall or early winter.
“Temperature and precipitation impacts from El Niño are likely to be seen during the upcoming months,” NOAA said.
Johnson said Public Works plans to get the roads winter-ready and drivable until paving can be done in spring.
“We’re still talking materials, but the idea would be to prep everything like we’re going to pave. We’re thinking of using a Class 6 concrete that is compact and sheds water. Ultimately, we’re going to have roads that are drivable and will be maintained in the winter,” he said.
The contractor for the project – a joint effort of the Cortez Sanitation District and Public Works — is Redpoint Contracting of Denver.
Paradise Village was selected for the overhaul because of its old infrastructure.
“It’s largely concrete pipe infrastructure,” sanitation superintendent Phil Starks said at a March 17 public meeting, adding that 50 percent of the sewer lines’ concrete walls have eroded.
“We have trouble cleaning the lines because it strips it. We have to be extremely gentle. We’d probably see a lot more sewer backups down the line if we don’t get this replaced. ... We’re not just replacing them – we’re upgrading to the newest industry standards.”
The neighborhood is built on hot soil, which means that the chemical makeup of the ground contributes to corrosion of its metal water lines.
