The Crosstown Parkway extension project is still expected to come in under budget and ahead of schedule, even after the Port St. Lucie City Council approved several change orders that increase the project’s timeline and price tag.
The council on Monday night unanimously approved six change orders that add 75 calendar days to the schedule require approximately $862,000 more in funding. The new budget now sits at $89.85 million – still less than the originally-planned price tag of $100 million.
A little more than a month was added to account for lost construction days due to rain and hurricane events since the project’s start.
Even still, the contractor expects to have the extension complete on or before Nov. 2, 2019; the original contract called for completion by the third week in November. Crews have worked quickly to accelerate the timeline to mitigate the weather delays.
“It’s got to be done by Thanksgiving 2019,” Mayor Gregory Oravec said. “That’s what’s going to happen.”
The contract added another 40 calendar days for unexpected work at the behest of the Florida Department of Transportation.
The work was an “unforeseen condition,” said Assistant City Manager and City Engineer Patricia Roebling.
FDOT required the city to replace a 42-inch underground pipe that runs parallel to Crosstown because the pipe is failing and the new road would run atop it.
Roebling said that the city was able to work with FDOT to share the cost of the work since the city had been unaware that the pipe was in failing condition.
Of the nearly $238,000 cost, FDOT is expected to reimburse $105,000. The city’s utilities department is footing much of the cost – about $4.7 million – as it is a utility pipe being replaced.
Councilman John Carvelli said during the meeting that he appreciates FDOT working with the city to split the cost of the work.
Other work that needed to be done due to the extension project includes a privacy fence at Coral Reef Street, adding a spare conduit to the bridge median traffic rail, underground water lines for future water fountain services, and an information sign installation at Crosstown’s intersection with U.S. 1.
“It’s a big project, very expensive project, and things can happen when we do borings and go underground,” Carvelli said, adding that this is why the project has a $3 million contingency fund, which has not yet been tapped out. “I feel good at this point.”
Change Orders at a Glance
- Replace 42-inch pipe at Hogpen Slough: Cost (contract) – $237,778; Time – 40 days; Reason – pipe and outfall are failing and need be replaced.
- Privacy fence at Coral Reef Street: Cost $12,824; Time – 0 days; Reason – Limited right of way prohibits use of 6-foot tall berms to shield residential properties from Crosstown so a fence with landscaping will be used.
- Spare conduit in bridge median traffic rail: Cost $9,400; Time – 0 days; Reason – Accommodate future utility use.
- Water Fountain Services – underground only: Cost $24,000; Time – 0 days; Reason – Allow for three future water fountains be installed along the corridor similar to those found at City parks.
- Weather Days: Cost $0; Time – 35 days; Reason – Account for non-construction days due to poor weather and holidays.
- Jack and Bore at Liberty Medical: Cost $577,189; Time – 0 days; Reason – Construct stormwater discharge through Liberty’s conservation easement below ground.
- Information sign installation: Cost $1,194; Time – 0 days; Reason – Contractor to install informational “Coming Soon” sign at Crosstown intersection with U.S. 1.
