City OKs new intersection for Grand and Washington
A Hillsboro intersection in much need of repair will be replaced this spring, the Hillsboro City Council decided Tuesday afternoon.
The intersection of Grand and Washington streets will be replaced with new concrete, and a new gutter will be added on the west side of the intersection. The intersection is one of Hillsboro's busiest, with City Hall, Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church, and Vogt's IGA all surrounding the area.
Reiss and Goodness Engineers of Wichita is overseeing the project, and company engineer Bob Previtera was on hand at Tuesday's meeting with information about the project.
While the intersection undergoes construction, other nearby sections of street will also be upgraded. A north section of Washington, beginning at the intersection and ending at the south entrance of city Hall, will also be reconstructed. The entrance to the fire department will be altered, making the slope into the building six feet shorter.
Previtera has met with the fire department to discuss the alteration, and his test study shows that the new slope won't pose any problems, he said.
In addition, because of the new "valley" gutters crossing Grand, approximately 25 feet of Grand west of the intersection will need to be reconstructed so that it aligns properly with the new gutter, Previtera said.
The total estimate for all of the projects is $100,000, with the main intersection construction costing $72,000. The project will be open for bids on March 19, with a pre-bid conference to be held on March 12.
Funding for these intersection projects has already been set aside, since the city had originally planned to begin the project in 2001, said Mayor Delores Dalke.
Previtera also brought another potential reconstruction project — a section of Washington south of D Street. This would include another new valley gutter at the intersection of Washington and E streets.
City Administrator Steve Garrett acknowledged that the street needs work.
"The drainage isn't that bad, but it needs to be addressed," he said.
But Dalke questioned such extensive measures just yet. The city had previously planned a "patch job" for that street's problems, she said.
Other city streets also need repairs, and the council needs to prioritize what streets should come first before beginning another costly project, Dalke said.
Garrett said that he would discuss the situation further with Previtera.
Also at the City Council meeting, councilmembers voted to accept a low bid from Walters Morgan of Manhattan to replace three water filters from the city's water treatment facility.
Walters Morgan had the lowest bid, which was $97,200. The city received its highest bid from Wolf Construction of Topeka; that bid was $182,000.
The city will finance the project with temporary notes, Garrett said. By using the notes, the city can be reimbursed by Rural Water Development.
