Two big road reconstruction projects to start May 1

Ellis Don Industrial has won a $4.5-million contract to reconstruct Biggings Avenue between Queen Street East and Wellington Street East.

"Biggings Avenue is a road with a 6.7-metre right of way," says Maggie McAuley, municipal services and design engineer. 

"This narrow road allowance will present challenges during construction related to the movement of heavy equipment, handling of materials and maintaining access to local residents," McAuley said in a report prepared for last week's city council meeting.

"It is likely that bicycle lanes and vehicular traffic lanes on portions of Queen Street and Wellington Street will be closed for the duration of the project in order to accommodate material storage, equipment standby areas and overflow resident parking."

Ellis Don won the project over two other bidders.

Avery Construction Ltd. bid $5.7 million, while Trimount Construction Group Inc. offered to do the job for $6.4 million.

The affected portion of Biggings Avenue will be closed from May 1 to Nov. 30.

Meanwhile, Trimount Construction Group Inc. has been awarded a $5.2 million contract to rebuild Blake Avenue from McNabb Street to Wawanosh Avenue.

There were two unsuccessful bidders.

Pioneer Construction Inc. bid $5.7 million.

A bid from Avery Construction Ltd. was missing required information and contained minor calculation errors, but was still the high bid at $7.1 million.

The part of Blake Avenue being rebuilt will be closed from May 1 to Nov. 30.

Michael Kresin, a consulting engineer at Kresin Engineering Corp., said the low bid was higher than expected.

"It is our understanding that inflationary pressures continue to have a significant impact on material prices and the current labour market is tight, resulting in increasing costs," Kresin said.

Cost overruns on the above-mentioned projects mentioned have prompted city officials to cancel a planned Stanley Street reconstruction project before the tender closed. 

Stanley Street will be prioritized in the 2024 capital transportation plan to be brought to city council this summer.

Other highlights from last week's city council meeting:

• Fisher Wavy Inc. has been selected as the city's supplier of ready-mix concrete for the 2023 construction season. Its unit price for 32Mpa ready mix (CSA 23.1) is $593
• TMS Truck Centre Ltd. will supply a $366,976 tandem plow/sander for use at the city landfill
• FST Canada Inc. (Joe Johnson Equipment of Innisfil, Ontario) will supply the landfill with two garbage trucks valued at a total of $996,720
• TMS Truck Centre Ltd. will also provide two tandem sanders needed by public works for 
  $597,772, as well as a tandem plow/sander for $366,976 
• the city will install solar panels as a pilot project on bus shelters at Pawating Place and Peoples Road). One solar-powered bus shelter may also be purchased to determine its viability and longevity in Sault Ste. Marie's climate