The total cost of the project is now estimated at about $1 million.
By: Joseph Harvie
A project to run sewers along Route 1 between the intersection of Sand Hills and Major roads and the intersection of Beekman and Northumberland roads will cost the township about 50 percent more than originally planned.
The Township Council adopted a resolution Tuesday authorizing a $125,000 increase the third change order issued since the township hired Metra Industries in April for $667,818. The total cost of the project is now estimated at about $1 million.
The project was designed to extend sewers to the area. Township Utilities Director Larry Merk said that businesses and homes in the area are serviced by septic systems. In addition, any new development in the area would be able to tie into the sewer lines, Mr. Merk said.
However, the project hit a snag when the contractor found large pieces of bedrock under Route 1, making it difficult to run the line from the northbound side to the southbound side of the highway, Mr. Merck said.
The bedrock has resulted in three change orders totaling $332,761 $67,757 on Sept 26, $140,004.63 on Oct. 10 and the $125,000 change order Tuesday.
The council was skeptical of the most recent change order and wanted to know why the bedrock wasn’t found when the project was being designed. Mr. Merk said that Alaimo Engineering, of Mount Holly, did borings on both sides of the highway and did not find any bedrock. He said that it wasn’t until Metra Industries was drilling under the highway that they found the bedrock.
He said the project is complete and the town is only waiting for landscaping to be done near the project site.
The township initially bonded for the project, but anyone who ties into the lines would be assessed to help pay for the project. He said that a project assessment commission would be appointed by the Township Council once all the work is completed.
He said property owners could only be assessed for the amount of value a new sewer connection adds to the property.