City plans pavement preservation in east Sequim for October

Ruptured water line on Maple Street added to projects

By Matthew Nash • September 18, 2019 1:30 am
A portion of Maple Street between South Seventh and South Sixth Avenue remains closed until construction repairs begin in October to repave the road along with a few other portions of city streets on the eastern side of the City of Sequim. City staff said a water line broke on Maple Street causing the damage to the road. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash
A portion of Maple Street between South Seventh and South Sixth Avenue remains closed until construction repairs begin in October to repave the road along with a few other portions of city streets on the eastern side of the City of Sequim. City staff said a water line broke on Maple Street causing the damage to the road. Sequim Gazette photo by Matthew Nash

In the coming month, Sequim city staff expect pavement preservation projects to begin in the eastern portions of town to repair damaged roadways.

David Garlington, City of Sequim’s public works director, said on Sept. 9, “There’s a lot of depression from utility trenches that are settling.”

As part of the project, Nordland Construction is set to place about 550 tons of hot mix asphalt on portions of:

• Blue Glacier Loop

• East Hendrickson Road

• Lillian Ridge Drive/Court

• Oak Tree Ridge Street

• Oak View Place

• Oak Wood Drive

They’ll also repair a portion of Maple Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenue after a water line broke the week before the Sept. 9 city council meeting.

Matt Klontz, Sequim city engineer, said construction will tentatively begin sometime in October and last about two to three weeks.

Garlington said Nordland was the lowest of three bids and less than the city engineer’s estimate of about $482,000.

Sequim city councilors unanimously approved an approximate $413,000 contract plus a 15 percent contingency worth about $61,950 with Nordland on Sept. 9. Councilor Jennifer States was absent for the vote.

Traditionally, funding for pavement preservation comes from the Transportation Benefit District’s dedicated fund, but Garlington said this year’s funds come from water and sewer reserve funds since the depressions were caused by failures in the city’s utility system.

Garlington asked city councilors for a 15 percent contingency instead of a typical 10 percent because city staff estimates the water line break repairs on Maple Street would cost about 5 percent of the total contract with Nordland to repair the road.

City councilor Ted Miller asked if similar problems might occur along the street.

“When excavated, the (pvc) pipe was split for one 20-foot (section) almost its entire length, but the rest of it looked to be in good shape,” Garlington said.

“We discovered there was no pipe bedding when back-filled … and that was stressed over time with cars going over it.”

Garlington said the same process is likely replicated along the street, but he’s optimistic with the rest of the pipe being in good shape and lasting as long as it has.

But “whether it could happen in other places in town, unfortunate answer is yes,” he said.

“Until we open something up we won’t know.”

City staff plan to install an extra valve for the new piping if something similar happens down the line, too.

Maple’s ownership in question

Garlington noted that in city staff’s research they can’t find if this portion of Maple Street was ever dedicated to the city.

“In the off chance it was in fact dedicated to the city, we just haven’t found it yet,” City Attorney Kristina Nelson-Gross said.

Regardless, she and Garlington said the city has an obligation to repair the roadway since it was utility piping that broke and damaged the road.

City staff said they plan to continue looking into the ownership of the small stretch of road.

For more information on road projects, call 360-683-4908.

Reach Matthew Nash at mnash@sequimgazette.com.