Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation Infrastructure topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council hears schedule for MLK Complete Streets project; construction-inspection contract on agenda
Summary
Staff told the Mobile City Council that the MLK Complete Streets project’s construction-inspection contract will be submitted to state Restore Act reviewers after council approval, with an anticipated notice to proceed before year-end and an estimated 18-month construction period.
City staff briefed councilors on the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue Complete Streets project and the construction-inspection contract that was before the council as part of the project’s federal grant approvals.
Nate, a project staff member, said the inspection contract is the next step after the construction contract and that after council approval the project must return to state-level Restore Act reviewers. "After you vote and approve this contract today, it will go back to the state for their final approval. Typically, that's taken about 6 weeks, so we're looking to hopefully have a notice to proceed before the end of the year," Nate said.
Council members asked whether the project would affect Mardi Gras traffic; project staff said work will start at Butcher’s Lane and will not affect parade routes. Staff said the work will be done with single-lane closures and with demobilization and remobilization during parade periods so there would be no interruption to the parade route.
Project staff described current design progress and an overall schedule: the project was described as about 60% complete in design, with 90% plans expected by January, and an 18-month construction duration once under way. Staff said the team aims to move quickly after approvals, citing recent experience moving from notice to proceed to on-site work within a week on a previous street project.
Councilors and staff discussed logistics, staging and community connections, including noting the project’s proximity to the 3-Mile Creek Greenway Trailhead and the intent to coordinate traffic control and trail access during work.
The contract for construction engineering and inspection services with Volker (as described on the agenda) was presented as a first read with follow-up state approvals required under the Restore Act grant; the meeting transcript records explanations and scheduling commentary but does not record a final vote on the construction contract in the pre-meeting portion reviewed here.
