Despite the COVID-19 lockdowns, there’s still work to be done, and, according to City Engineer Mike Caccavano, there are five projects that are out for bid and several more that are in the design stages.

Here’s the list:

South Redmond Water Facility (SRWF)

This project is the largest of the five, estimated at $14 million. It includes a 4 million-gallon concrete reservoir, 7,000 gallon per minute pump station and 1,000 foot deep well.

It’s purpose is to ensure the city has the capacity for the fast-growing south Redmond area, including residential development in SW Redmond, commercial near the Yew Avenue interchange and industrial to the east of Highway 97.

The reservoir and well will also benefit the rest of the city with increased supply and storage to meet peak summer demands.

The facility will be at SW Volcano Avenue and SW 43rd Street. Design is at 60 percent. We just received proposals from construction managers/general contractors this week. Work is anticipated to start June 2020 and continue until late summer 2021.

Two waterline projects are related to the SRWF

A new 24-inch diameter water transmission main in SW 43rd Street — estimated at $700,000 — and 18-inch main in SW Canal Boulevard — estimated at $1,152,000 — will deliver water from the SRWF.

The SW 43rd St. water transmission main runs from SW Reservoir Drive to SW Badger Avenue. A portion of this line has been installed in a partnership with Palmer Homes as they built a section of SW 43rd Street for their Redtail Ridge subdivision. The remainder is being designed and will be constructed as a city project. The 18-inch line in SW Canal Blvd. will run from SW Badger Avenue to SW 30th Street. Bids will open this week for this project.

Construction was originally anticipated to start in June to avoid impacts to school traffic, but it can now start in May and will continue until late August.

One more water project

It will be constructed in SW Kalama Avenue between SW 12th and SW 15th Streets. The city has been updating the water network in this area and the 12-inch water main provides a needed connection. Similar to the SW Canal Boulevard project, this work was to start in June to avoid affecting Lynch School. It can now start in May as a result of school closures. Bids will be opened for this project next week and the estimated cost is $240,000.

NW Hemlock Avenue

The section between 19th and 23rd Streets is an old two-lane road with no storm drainage or sidewalks. It will be updated to city collector street standards with new pavement, curbs, storm drainage, bike lanes, a 5-foot sidewalk on the south side and a 10-foot multi-use path on the north side. The section between 23rd and 27th Streets was improved with adjacent development and does not need work. From 27th to 35th Streets, the pavement will be overlaid for maintenance. Bids will be opened for this project this week and the estimated cost is $1,050,000.

Finally, the city just received competitive proposals for a roundabout at SW Canal Boulevard and SW Pumice Avenue. This project fixes current congestion problems at the intersection and will also handle traffic from the proposed Obsidian Heights Apartments planned to the west of SW Canal Boulevard.

In the competitive proposal process, the city asks for the contractor’s ideas of how to minimize impacts to the public during construction. Although traffic volumes are down , there is still a lot of traffic using Pumice Avenue to get to and from Safeway. Estimated cost is $640,000. Work is anticipated to start in May. The completion date will be determined after evaluation of the proposals.