Public works reports Jacksonville Cato Road progress; Fern Ridge rebuilt under warranty, Kellogg drainage deferred

Public works staff updated the Sherwood City Street Committee on ongoing street projects and maintenance work, reporting that the Jacksonville Cato Road improvement project remains on track for a 2025 completion and that several related tasks are advancing.

On Jacksonville Cato Road Improvement Phase 1, staff reported a contracted amount of $9,472,303.90 and that 61 percent of that contract — $5,705,384.79 — has been invoiced to date. Phase 1 crews completed substantial concrete work and utility installation near the school; staff said photographs are in the packet. The stated anticipated completion date is 2025, though staff noted some talk of a delay of a couple of weeks that had not been documented.

Phase 2 is in advanced right-of-way negotiations, staff said, with most acquisitions complete and one acquisition still pending in court. Two properties the city acquired will undergo asbestos abatement and soon thereafter demolition; staff indicated those actions are scheduled to proceed and that a public meeting at a church in Bridal Ridge will be announced once the date and location are finalized. Staff also said the city must obtain RDOT approval for materials before proceeding with some elements of Phase 2 work; utility relocations for Phase 2 are about to begin.

The committee heard that a non-bond project on Fern Ridge Road in the Millers Glen neighborhood required the contractor to rebuild sections after the pavement began to fail months after acceptance. Staff and the city attorney, Steve Cobb, worked with the contractor and the contractor rebuilt the road, which staff estimated avoided roughly $100,000 in additional asphalt costs compared with Bridal—s estimate. Staff also said the contractor will mill and repave the gate area again.

On other items, staff said routine leaf pickup occupied crews late in the year and that Kellogg Road drainage work has been removed from the active list because funding is not available at this time. The city will revisit Kellogg Road drainage if funding becomes available. The committee was also told the city will rework its traffic-calming speed cushion policy and return suggested edits for committee consideration; staff said there have been few recent requests for speed cushions.

No formal actions or budget votes were taken on these project updates during the meeting; staff were directed to publish meeting information for the Bridal Ridge hearing after RDOT approvals and to proceed with asbestos abatement and demolition scheduling for the properties the city owns.