Council awards First Street North water-main replacement; residents warned of temporary impacts

The Jacksonville Beach City Council awarded a bid to replace about 60-year-old 8-inch cast-iron water main on First Street North and approved construction-administration services for the project. City Engineer Kail Moore told the council the project replaces corroded cast-iron pipe with an 8-inch PVC main; in most locations the pipe size remains the same. The council awarded Bid No. 2425-11 to GNH Underground Construction Inc. for an amount not to exceed $644,511 and authorized Jones Edmonds for construction administration services for $20,043. Moore said the project will patch roadways where crews work and that the city plans a later milling and resurfacing of the corridor using paving funds. She said the contractor expects to begin soon, which shortens procurement but means crews may be working during hurricane season. Council members pressed staff on resident communications, staging and parking. Moore said the city will hold a preconstruction meeting to establish working hours, traffic-control plans and an information flyer distribution plan; door hangers and direct outreach will be used for any properties that will lose service during tie-ins. She identified a nearby Beaches Energy site as the preferred laydown yard but noted its location will require coordination. Moore said water outages, when needed, will be limited and scheduled where possible; crews may perform some tie-ins at night to reduce business impacts. She also said contractors must secure sites before storms, that the city will monitor active sites during events, and that debris left on site must be removed by the contractor. The council approved the awards on roll-call votes. Staff said the project should take a few months and that they will post schedules and updates on the city website once the preconstruction plan is finalized.