Will they get it right this time? (Road construction)

Coyote · Post by **Coyote** » Wed Mar 23, 2005 3:03 pm

OWH wrote: 144th Street contract adopts changes

Incentives of up to $230,000, along with severe penalties, are part of the city's first road contract to embrace reforms developed after last year's orange-barrel obstacle course clogged city streets.

The contract also will include firm deadlines for completion.

The project involves widening a roughly one-mile stretch of 144th Street from Dayton Street, which is just south of F Street, to Q Street.

"With these new conditions in place, Omaha's construction process will be quicker and more accountable," Mayor Mike Fahey said Wednesday.

The project will start this spring under a single contract, with the work broken into two sections.

The work has a start date of May 23 and a final deadline of Aug. 12, 2006.

Fahey also announced an agreement among the City of Omaha, Omaha Public Power District and the Metropolitan Utilities District.

The agreement is aimed at increasing cooperation and coordination between the city and the utilities. City Attorney Paul Kratz said the agreement isn't legally enforceable but signals a willingness by the parties to make improvements.

The street construction reforms address problems identified in a World-Herald investigation last summer into city road-building policies and practices.

The changes in how the city sets contracts for street work were included in a report issued in September by Fahey's road construction task force.

The widening of 144th Street will be the city's only major new project this year because of a lack of bond funds for road work.

The reforms include contracts with calendar deadlines, incentives for early completion, penalties for missing deadlines, and better coordination with utilities.

The World-Herald investigation found that city-run road projects had fewer workers and more delays than state-run projects in the Omaha area.

The 144th Street job, which had been slated to start last fall, was delayed so the city could initiate recommendations.

Because the 144th Street project already had been designed, some recommendations - such as starting the design process earlier - couldn't be fully implemented.

A major change in the system will be to move away from "working day" contracts, in which contractors have a number of working days to complete a project. The definition of a working day can be subjective, and contractors can negotiate their way out of being charged a working day.

adam186 · Post by **adam186** » Wed Mar 23, 2005 3:51 pm

Well, I hope they do. I use this street very often whenever I come back from Lincoln. Hopefully they'll get done early and set an example for future projects.

projectman · Post by **projectman** » Wed Mar 23, 2005 9:23 pm

This project is way over due. This stretch of road is one of the most frustrating that I have traveled on in this city. Stop lights every 2 blocks. Two lanes to one lane to two lanes to one again. People are always trying to speed around everyone else.

Coyote · Post by **Coyote** » Wed Mar 23, 2005 9:31 pm

And a school right there where everyone is trying to turn into.

DTO Luv · Post by **DTO Luv** » Wed Mar 23, 2005 10:16 pm

Man I love east Omaha.

Post by **Brad** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 2:29 pm

Man I love east Omaha

I agree.

It seems like a bad deal for the city that with all of the roads that need to be widened or redone that 144 th st is the only new road project this year.

RockHarbor · Post by **RockHarbor** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 4:33 pm

A lot of people joke that Omaha is nothing but road construction. It seems to be true. The city can't help it, though: Those freezing winters really are so hard on streets and roads. As far as widening streets out west with growth, I don't understand why they always have to wait until traffic is snarling before they put up the orange cones and go to work. They should be widening 180th and 192nd now, but I'm sure it all comes down to money. Doesn't most everything!?