Soggy soil dampens Ninth Street extension project
July 1, 2008
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Although Monday proved to be a typically warm, late June day, excess water was on the minds of officials at Colorado Northwestern Community College.
Added moisture on the site where the college plans to build a new campus west of Craig could add more costs to preparing the site for construction.
As the developer of the 100-acre parcel, CNCC is required to extend Ninth Street to the westernmost edge of the property, which was estimated to cost about $692,000.
Last week, however, crews discovered the soil beneath the road site was unstable, wrote Dan Giroux, a Diversified Consulting Solutions, Inc. consultant, in an e-mail to college officials last Tuesday.
The culprit: water in the soil.
“They (crews) knew would be some (water) over there,” said Gene Bilodeau, CNCC Craig campus dean, during the college’s monthly board meeting Monday night.
“In some of the initial testing (crews) did, they thought it was just spring runoff, or they thought it was isolated to certain pockets.”
However, further studies showed that additional actions would be necessary to shore up the soaked soil.
Twin Peaks Utilities and Infrastructure, a Lafayette-based company, has completed other infrastructure projects on the site under its $2.7 million contract with The Memorial Hospital.
The hospital is planning to build a new facility on the 100-acre parcel.
The hospital may have the same problem, Bilodeau said, adding that the hospital hasn’t encountered it yet because “they haven’t dug to the depth we have for Ninth Street.”
In a letter to Twin Peaks officials, a geotechnical specialist working with DCS recommended the firms’ crews remove at least 18 inches of the wet soil in the roadway.
The firm also suggested laying fabric where the proposed road would be built to prevent further destabilization.
As of Monday evening, the total cost of these projects still was unknown.
Representatives from DCS, the college’s owner’s representative, recently met with city officials to discuss the issue, Bilodeau said.
John Sattler, DCS president, said he could not yet estimate how much it would cost.
However, he added, fixing the problem likely would result in a change order, or supplemental funding.
Bridget Manley can be reached at 875-1795 or bmanley@craigdailypress.com.
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1 July 2008 at 12:31 a.m.
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Globe (Anonymous) says…
Soggy soil? Are you geniuses just now trying to tell us that there is a soil problem on the hill? Is the cdp, cncc, and hospital that stupid? This town has known that there is bad soil on that hill for over twenty years. Why do you think no one has built on it? What stupid idiot surveyed the site and didn't walk away with the knowledge that the ground isn't suitable to build on unless you take half of it away and bring in new dirt? All hou have to do is dig a fence post hole to realize the soil up there is pure crap.
And and and and now the hospital and CNCC are shocked that there “might” be some cost over runs? Are you serious? Serious? What a bunch of idiots we have. Oh oh oh and the article says the “hospital may have the same problem.” They already know they have to drill holdes to heck and back to pour concrete pillars in the slim hope that they can get a sure foundation to build on. And that is just a crap shoot in its self. 10 years from now you'll see major problems. That building wont' last twenty years.
The clowns they hired to put in the road (DCS) are now going to be doing more work?!. Has anyone seen what they already put in up there? CNCC is giving these clowns a blank check. Sadly it has been Stan who has informed the deaf ear of Craig about these problems months and months ago, but I guess $2.7 million speaks louder than a public forumn. Now Stan is telling us how CNCC and TMH are cutting back room deals so they don't have to go through a bid process. Diversified Consultants sold them both on a load of crap that a “change order” on the existing bid for TMH would be cheaper than sending out new bids for the CNCC 9th street (can you spell loop hole?). Boy did they sucker you fools. Now that the can of worms has been opened up you will see that $700,000 bid jump 15%, 20% or MORE!. And there is nothing you can do about it. Do ya think you should have gone after a new bid now? Sounds like John Sattler with DCS is going to be able to afford that new boat this year after all. My favorite part is how CNCC met with the City. Ya think they are asking the city to make up the differene? This is just the tip of the iceberg of cost over runs this community is going to be asked to pay for as Harry and Loyd begin there projects. God be with us all……..
1 July 2008 at 8:59 a.m.
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50cal (Anonymous) says…
those jokers could build a road if they had to. now they will make the pads for the hospital and cncc your right globe the buildings will end up on the bottom of the hill in twenty years unless some extreme engineering is added on to fix the soil conditions and the hospital will fork over the dough because they have no backbones and they are probably getting kick backs. I watched them build the road last year what a complete joke no compaction. Didn;t do the lifts right to build up the road. isn;t on grade, the water, sewer and utilities were not installed right. someone comes out of denver as the low bidder and no one questions why?
1 July 2008 at 9:31 a.m.
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50cal (Anonymous) says…
that was supposed to be couldn't build a road.
1 July 2008 at 5:48 p.m.
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freeman (Anonymous) says…
thats right 50,,,no construction company in craig can pull that off,,,,,thats building a road ???
1 July 2008 at 6:04 p.m.
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50cal (Anonymous) says…
sad part is our hospital and the roads will sink out of site before this is said and done maybe the craig daily press should send someone out to look and see how bad the community is getting shafted instead of reporting what the board wants to tell them.