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Work started on Granite Street

Waupaca road construction scheduled through mid-October

By Angie Landsverk


A project that includes reconstructing Granite Street, the Washington Street parking lot and the alley behind four blocks of Main Street began on June 8.

Soper Grading and Excavating, of Oshkosh, was awarded the contract last month for an amount not to exceed $1.035 million.

It was a unanimous decision of the common council.

All members were present.

“We received seven bids. That’s a great number,” Public Works Director Justin Berrens told the council.

The city budgeted $1.125 million for the project.

The bids ranged from Soper Grading and Excavating’s low bid of $907,846 to a high of $1.02 million.

The $1.035 million contract includes a 15% contingency on the street items and 10% contingency on the water items.

Berrens requested those contingencies based on the bid savings and project’s scope.

He said people comment about why Granite Street bears that name.

“We’re expecting to hit some rock,” Berrens said.

He reminded the council that contingencies were also requested for other large projects the past few years.

Those requests were for Lake Street, the City Hall square and Evans Street.

Funding for the Granite Street project includes $725,000 from General Obligation Bonds, $50,000 from a Local Roads Improvement Program grant and $260,000 from Water Revenue Bonds.

Project scope

The project (from Harrison to Main streets) includes reconstruction of the street, replacement of the water main, sanitary sewer repairs and storm sewer modifications as needed.

Sidewalk, curb and gutter are also being replaced when needed.

The work also includes reconstruction of the parking lot at the corner of Washington and Granite streets, as well as reconstructing the alleys on the west side of Main Street, from Badger to Granite streets.

Berrens said the project is beginning in the alley near Badger Street, and working north to Granite Street.

“Work here will include pavement removal and storm sewer replacement all within the alleyways and the parking lot at Washington and Granite,” he said. “The alleys and parking lot will then be paved with new asphalt.”

Berrens expects that to happen after July 4.

The plan is to shut Granite Street down to through traffic around mid-July.

Water main and service line work begins then, and is to be completed by the end of August.

The water main under Granite Street is more than 100 years old.

The city knows lead components are present in it.

It was common to use lead goosenecks in the 1930s and 1940s for connections to mains, according to Berrens.

Replacing the main and laterals will remove a number of lead service lines.

Private lines

The cost to replace service lines on private property is being funded by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Lead Service Line program.

In 2017, the city applied for and received such funds to cover work on a portion of Lake Street.

Funds left over from that project are being used for the Granite Street project.

This project is separate from the reconstruction of the street.

The city received three bids for the lead service line replacement.

The David Tenor Corp., of Green Bay, had the low bid of $204,106.

The council unanimously approved awarding it the contract.

Berrens said it is the same company that did the work on Lake Street.

The city has a familiarity with the company and is confident it will be a great project, he said.

The water lateral work requires the contractor and water utility personnel enter residential homes, Berrens said.

“I currently expect these people to wear masks and obtain permission from the property owner prior to entering,” he said.

Berrens said contractors should provide a 48-hour notice prior to shutting down water or sewer service.

The overall Granite Street project is expected to be completed by mid-October.

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