PORT ANGELES — The First Street stormwater project is well ahead of schedule and could be done by May 24, said the city of Port Angeles’ lead engineer.
The contractor, Road Construction Northwest Inc., was initially scheduled to be done in mid- to late June.
“We’re looking to be completely done the week before Memorial Day,” said city engineer Mike Puntenney. “We’re blazing.”
Since starting about a month ago, RCNI has finished placing a new stormwater pipe under the south lane of First Street between Valley and Oak streets.
Paving plans
Next, the Renton-based company will pave that section of the road.
Puntenney said that should be done by the end of the week.
From Oak Street, work crews will continue installing the pipe eastward to Laurel Street.
Before finishing, the north lane of the road between Valley and Laurel streets will be repaved, bike lanes will be added, and crosswalks will be replaced.
The south lane of First Street between Laurel and Lincoln streets also will be repaved. Fog seal will be applied to the north lane of that block.
The project has a price tag of about $2.25 million, according to the city, with the city contributing $225,000 for street paving and the rest coming from the National Park Service.
The park service is covering that cost because the project is part of its $324.7 million Elwha River Restoration Project, the goal of which is to restore salmon habitat.
The First Street project is intended to remove enough stormwater from the city’s sewer system to offset the contribution of sewage from the Lower Elwha Klallam reservation.
The tribe will be connected to the city’s sewers because it’s expected that its septic tanks will become unusable as the groundwater level rises as a result of the removal of the two Elwha River dams.
The removal of the 108-foot Elwha Dam and the 210-foot Glines Canyon Dam is to begin in September and be finished in three years.
The park service agreed to fund a stormwater disconnect project to offset the impact on the city’s sewage overflow problem.
Construction of the sewer system was expected to begin earlier this month but is on hold for between 30 and 60 days.
It’s expected to be finished in July or August 2012.
The delay won’t affect the First Street project, said Glenn Cutler, city public works and utilities director.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
