Sandusky's west end improvement project starts this year

SANDUSKY — Upgrading utilities on Sandusky's west end came at the best price possible.During a recent public meeting, city commissioners signed off on a $4.4 million contract for a multifaceted project mostly along or near Venice Road (U.S. 6). A variety of local funding sources will cover all project expenses.Originally estimated at $6.25 million, officials seemed pleasantly surprised about a 30 percent reduction in actual costs."We actually had multiple companies with very low bids," city public works director Aaron Klein said.Work should begin later this year, and the entire project must end by May 14, 2021.Sandusky officials are pursuing a $4.4 million project to improve many aspects on and branching off Venice Road (U.S. 6). The work includes new water lines, storm sewers, road resurfacing along with the installation of a recreational pathway and sidewalks.Project scopeHere's a breakdown of the project's most notable tasks:• Water work: Replacing an outdated water main with a newer, larger one along Venice Road; Crews will also replace smaller water lines underneath portions of Edgewater Avenue, Elwood Court, Linden Street, Sagamore Street and Wuertz Street.• Storm sewer work: Installing storms sewers in the neighborhood of Edgewater Avenue, Elwood Court, Linden Street, Sagamore Street and Wuertz Street• Road work: Resurfacing Edgewater Avenue south of Venice Road along with portions of Edgewater Avenue, Elwood Court, Linden Street, Sagamore Street and Wuertz Street• Pathway work: Building a 10-foot-wide multi-use pathway for pedestrians, bicyclists and the like along Venice Road's north side between Edgewater Avenue to just east of Cold Creek's bridge• Sidewalk work: Constructing a 4-foot-wide concrete sidewalk between the eastern intersection of Mill Pond Drive to the eastern intersection of Cold Creek BoulevardAn overhead map shows the planned upgrades on Sandusky's west end. The tasks, which involve installing and improving water and storm sewer lines on or just off Venice Road (U.S. 6), in addition to resurfacing work, should all be completed by mid-2021. Going with Speer Bros.State law dictates municipalities must accept the lowest and best bid when seeking out contractors for projects.Out of nine total companies, Speer Bros. fit these stipulations to perform utility-related work on Sandusky's west side. And, legally, city commissioners couldn't reject Speer's $4.4 million bid based on recent history.Speer, a Perkins Township-based business, is embroiled in an ongoing $21 million taxpayers' lawsuit related to work it performed on water lines for Erie County's government almost 20 years ago.The lawsuit claims Speer's work comprised this entire system — evident by numerous pipes breaking, cracking and fracturing — because of improper installing and shoddy construction practices.The $21 million represents how much case defendants Speer Bros. and Burgess & Niple, an engineering firm also involved in this project, received from county water customers for their work. The plaintiffs, which include county officials, seek this amount to fix what they're calling a flawed and botched system.Well aware of the situation, city officials placed many safeguards in Speer's contract to avoid a similar situation from happening."We are going to have K.E. McCartney & Associates, out of Mansfield, who is one of the most respected and reputable construction inspection firms in the state going to be watching this project full-time at a cost of $485,000," Klein said.Local funds will cover the $485,000, which represents an additional cost above the $4.4 million going to Speer."They know construction techniques," Klein said. "They know how a water line should be installed. They will make sure it's installed appropriately according to our plans."Reach reporter Andy Ouriel at ouriel@sanduskyregister.com and follow him on Twitter @AndyOuriel.