PORT ANGELES — After three months of little or no activity, workers returned Wednesday to complete The Gateway.
Completion of the downtown $14.7 million transportation center, a joint project of the city of Port Angeles and Clallam Transit, had been on hold since November — when it was scheduled to be completed — while a crack in a foundation wall was analyzed.
The city gave Primo Construction the go-ahead to finish the project on Friday after an independent engineering review declared that it can be safely finished.
The project could be finished in three to four weeks, if all goes well, said Roland Ordona, site superintendent.
The independent engineering review from Berger/Abam Engineers Inc. of Federal Way determined that the cause of the cracking was stress placed on a reinforcing steel beam, said Glenn Cutler, city public works director.
He said repairs for the wall, and determination of who is liable for the problem, have not been decided.
Cutler said a report from Krei Architecture, which designed The Gateway, and its sub-contractor, Bright Engineering, will make that determination.
He said he expects it within seven to 10 days.
The project — at Front and Lincoln streets and Railroad Avenue — includes a transit center, parking garage, pavilion and police substation.
It is paid for with $8.1 million in state and federal grants, $6.1 million in city funds and $500,000 from Clallam Transit.
Glad to get it done
Ordona was happy to be back at work on Wednesday.
“Oh, I’m so glad to be doing something,” he said. “I’m glad to be getting it done, glad we got OK’d to finish.”
The work on Wednesday consisted of pouring 12 cubic yards of concrete on a pedestrian bridge and ramp.
Pouring of the concrete on the bridge, ramp and plaza floor are the last major items that need to be done before the project is completed.
That work has been on hold since September, when cracking underneath a horizontal support beam in the eastern foundation wall of the pavilion –where the plaza is located — was discovered.
Ordona said the concrete pouring can be completed in 2¬½ weeks if weather is cooperative.
The air temperature has to be at least 35 degrees, he said, for the concrete to cure.
It also can’t rain.
Workers on Wednesday were using heating blankets and portable heaters to ensure that the concrete cures.
Ordona said the final work will be the installation of railing on the plaza. That will be done in about a week after the concrete cures.
Crack
The crack in the foundation occurred because of the “post-tensioning process” used in the horizontal concrete beams that support the pavilion, Cutler said.
In this method, intended to add strength, steel wires within the concrete are pulled taut.
Cutler said that the wall was not able to flex when this occurred.
Nathan West, city economic and community development director, said the city did not receive answers from Krei to questions relating to the cause of the cracking, and he has not received an explanation as to why the architecture firm could not address that issue.
“I have no explanation from Krei at this point,” he said.
West said the city’s primary goal was ensuring that the project meets the building code standards and is therefore safe to complete.
“We’re happy it is going in that direction,” he said.
Berger/Abam Engineers Inc. was hired by Clallam Transit’s attorney, Craig Miller, in December.
Miller has said he hired Berger/Abam to provide engineering and legal consultation and declined to elaborate further.
Terry Weed, Clallam Transit general manager, has cited attorney-client privilege when declining to provide any additional information on the subject.
City Manager Kent Myers, West and Cutler have all said they can’t comment on Berger/Abam’s contract with Miller.
“We didn’t need to have an explanation from him,” Cutler said. “He works for Clallam Transit.”
Miller said last week that Berger/Abam has billed him $13,815 for services, and he will ask for reimbursement from the Clallam Transit board at its Feb. 16 meeting.
If the board approves reimbursement, the money would have to come from the city because of its interlocal agreement for the project with Clallam Transit.
The agreement says that the city would cover additional costs if Clallam Transit has spent its grant funding and $500,000 contribution.
Weed has said those funds have been spent.
Money spent
City Finance Director Yvonne Ziomkowski said in November that the project had exceeded its $13.8 million estimate but had not gone over its $14.7 million budget.
Additional costs to The Gateway, because of the delay, will be determined by the cost of engineering consultation with Berger/Abam and Zenovic and Associates, which is the city’s consultant, the cost of repairing the wall and additional work for Primo.
Although Primo ran out of contracted working days in November, Ordona said the company won’t seek much additional reimbursement.
Ordona said Primo will seek compensation for the cost of time and materials related to conducting the concrete pouring in the winter rather than in September, when it was scheduled, but not for additional working days.
________
Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
