City moving closer to start date on Southwest 38th upgrade

City officials are analyzing the final components, as they move closer to a start date on work to upgrade Southwest 38th Street between West Gore and West Lee boulevards.

The long-awaited upgrade will use mill and overlay to improve the north/south arterial that is a key access point to Cameron University, as well as the only point of access to businesses ranging from a tag agency to medical clinics.

Mill and overlay is a technique that involves grinding off the top layer of asphalt and applying a new layer (repairs to specific areas also would be done). The city opened bids on the project last week, with those bids ranging from $3.99 million to $4.9 million. The engineering estimate was $5.123 million.

Consulting engineer Chris Serrano said the game plan still is to begin the project by mid- to late-April, starting with the half of the roadway south of of the railroad tracks. Ward 4 Councilman George Gill, who chairs the City Council’s Streets and Bridges Committee, said the 240-day project will keep at least one traffic lane open in either direction. Gill said detour routes also will be established to ensure access to businesses along Southwest 38th Street, as well as Cameron University.

Cameron is a key factor in the project. Southwest 38th Street forms the university’s western boundary, and it also is the primary entrance to the football stadium that will host commencement exercises for graduates in early May. Serrano said engineers are keeping that activity in mind as they make plans for the road project.

Gill said a recommendation on the winning bid is expected to go to the City Council for approval at its March 25 meeting. Gill has been a strong proponent for the mill and overlay technique, arguing the cost would be significantly less than the estimated $30 million cost to completely rebuild the roadway, as well as less time consuming than the two to three years needed for a complete rebuild.

Gill and Serrano have said while the focus of the project will be mill and overlay, severely damaged portions of the roadway also will be rebuilt before that final overlay work is done. Engineers have said that mill and overlay generally extends a street’s life by five to 10 years.

Serrano said while the project is slated for 240 days, it could be done in less time — but that is weather dependent. He also said the plan is to begin with the south half-mile (the roadway south of the railroad tracks), which would allow the project to avoid conflicting with commencement exercises at Cameron University.

But, there may be one factor that impacts the April start date.

Members of the City Council Streets and Bridges Committee voted Tuesday to accept the recommendation of city administrators to take the second-lowest bid, arguing the lowest bid was not completely responsive because of some problems the contractor is facing. Gill, who chairs the committee, said the low bidder was deemed non-responsive (meaning, it didn’t fulfill all the bidding requirements for the project) because it is facing lawsuits on other projects. Gill said a non-responsive bidder could affect the timeframe under which the project will be done, and that completion date is an important consideration for the busy south Lawton arterial.

Gill said his recommendation is the same one that engineers made: award the project to the second-lowest bidder who does meet all specifications. Bids, which were opened March 14, were: Schiralli Corporation, Wilson; $3,997,096.88; T&G Construction, Lawton, $4,349,897.39; Overland Corporation, Ardmore, $4,699,925; and Ellsworth Construction, Tulsa, $4,928,970.46. The engineering estimate was $5,123,000.

The final decision will be made by the full council, with funding for the project coming from the Ad Valorem Road Improvement Program.