POULSBO — Starting Monday, driving on 10th Avenue will be a little dicier than usual.
But a couple of weeks of inconvenience may well be worth the finished project.
Starting March 21, the 10th Ave. reconstruction project will be taking place from the southern end of the Poulsbo Fire Department driveway to the Schuck’s/Hollywood Video driveway. The plan is to completely renovate the failing roadway. A combination of a inadequate subgrade and a very wet hillside has created the current alligatoring and roadway failure seen along the route.
“That’s why we have potholes there that could take a small car some days,†senior field inspector Mike Lund joked.
Trimaxx Construction of Sedro-Woolley was the lowest of six bidders on the project this month with an offer of about $214,000, or $30,000 less than the engineer’s estimate. The reconstruction was originally set to be completed last year but only one bid was received that was significantly higher than the estimate.
This will mark the first time that Trimaxx has done a construction project for Poulsbo but Lund said the company came highly recommended.
“I’ve heard nothing but good things about them,†he said.
The project timeline is set for March 21 to April 22, or about 25 working days. Trimaxx is hoping to be paving by April 4, well before the deadline. About one foot of material will be taken out of the road bed through the area and replaced with stormwater shunts, new subgrade and a 6-inch asphalt lift. When completed, it will be Poulsbo’s thickest road surface.
The Schuck’s/Hollywood Video driveway will also be remodeled to make it more level with the roadway.
From 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., the contractor is allowed to close one lane of travel and alternate traffic on the open lane. Trimaxx plans to cut the road surface down the center lane and only dig out one lane at a time. After working hours, the entire stretch will be opened back up to motorists, however, there may be some rough terrain as with last summer’s Caldart project. Paving is also planned to take place one side at a time.
“We’re going to do everything we can to keep traffic going,†Lund said.
The contract also allows two days during which the intersection of 10th and Liberty Road can be closed. Signs will be posted to alert motorists about these closures, which are projected to occur near the end of the month.
Besides allowing traffic, including emergency vehicles, easy movement, Lund said the biggest priority of the project is keeping access to businesses open. Letters were hand delivered to businesses along 10th, as well as North Kitsap High School and Kitsap Transit to notify community members of the project and its potential impacts.
“Unless they have business on 10th Avenue, if they’re just using it as a cut through, I’d say try to use an alternate route,†Lund said.
Questions, comments or concerns about the 10th Avenue reconstruction can be directed to Lund at (360) 779-5111.
