Agenda Index City of Vancouver

ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

TO:

Vancouver City Council

FROM:

General Manager of Engineering Services

SUBJECT:

Award of Contract 9923 - Clark Drive Retaining Walls

 

RECOMMENDATION

A. THAT Contract Number 9923 for the construction of the Clark Drive Retaining Walls, be awarded to the low tenderer, JJM Construction Ltd., for the total lump sum tender price of $1,067,860.00, with funding provided from Streets Basic Capital Account Number 10000767 - Clark & 1st Left Turn Bay Contract.

C. THAT Council approve $40,000 for temporary staffing and computer/communication equipment to ensure a greater level of service to the public through increased communication of this, and the numerous other construction related projects planned for this season, with funding provided from Streets Basic Capital Unappropriated Account Number 30000161 - Clark Dr and 1st Ave Left Turn Bay.

GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS

The General Manager of Engineering Services RECOMMENDS approval of A, B and C.

COUNCIL POLICY

Construction contracts more than $200,000 are to be awarded by Council.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this report is to obtain Council approval to award Contract No. 9923 for the construction of the Clark Drive Retaining Walls. Approval is also requested for temporary staff and equipment to provide a greater level of service to the public during the construction of this, and the numerous other construction projects planned for this season.

BACKGROUND

On March 14, 1996, Vancouver Traffic Commission approved the construction of left turn bays on Clark Drive at First Avenue, at an original estimated cost of $1.9 million; $380,000 has been provided by the developers of the home improvement centre on 900 Terminal Avenue and $1.52 million provided from the Streets Capital Budget.

In May of 1999, TransLink approved funding for the Clark Drive and First Avenue Left Turn Bays at one half of a revised project estimated cost, up to a maximum TransLink contribution of $1.15 million, as part of its 1999 Major Road Network Minor Capital Project improvements. Due to the time required for property acquisition, this project was not completed in 1999 and TransLink has given approval to carry this funding over until the end of 2000.

On July 6, 1999, Council approved SNC-Lavalin to be retained to provide engineering services related to the design and construction of three retaining walls and modifications to the east abutment of the Grandview Viaduct. The consultant work included a geotechnical investigation, preliminary design, cost estimates, detailed design, tender analysis, construction administration and inspection.

The retaining wall structures were designed by SNC-Lavalin and tenders were called for the construction of the walls.

CONSTRUCTION TENDERS

Tenders for Contract No. 9923 for construction of the Clark Drive Retaining Walls were opened on Wednesday, February 23, 2000 and referred to the General Manager of Engineering Services for tabulation. All tenders have been checked for completeness and accuracy and any miscalculations and omissions have been corrected. A tabulation of the total lump sum tender prices, including 7% GST, is shown below with the lowest tender underlined. The estimate for this construction contract, as provided by SNC-Lavalin, is $1.2 million.

CONTRACTOR

TOTAL LUMP SUM TENDER PRICE

1

JJM Construction Ltd.

$1,067,860.00

2

Dominion Construction

$1,149,000.00

3

Coquitlam Ridge Construction Ltd.

$1,187,906.51

4

Western Industrial Contractors Ltd.

$1,273,300.00

5

Western Versatile Construction Corp.

$1,293,630.00

6

Merletti Construction (1999) Ltd.

$1,401,914.00

 

Consultant Estimate:

$1,200,000.00

This is a lump sum contract with unit prices for additions and deletions. Each Contractor has submitted a total lump sum tender price for all work under the contract. Also, as requested, the Contractors have submitted a breakdown in the lump sum prices which will be used for computation of interim payments. The final cost of the contract may vary as a result of any additions and deletions, and extra or "force account" work if required.

The tender submitted by the low bidder, JJM Construction Ltd., is in accordance with the specifications in the Contract documents. The Contractor has provided an acceptable construction schedule that meets the City's requirements for substantial completion of the wall structures within four months of award of this Contract. This company has several years experience in related construction work, and their qualifications are considered adequate for this Contract.

RELATED TRAFFIC ISSUES

It is anticipated that the closure of the southbound curb lane of Clark Drive will take place around April 7, 2000. The closure will allow for the construction of the retaining walls and it is anticipated to last for approximately four months.

To prevent traffic congestion around the construction site, motorists will be encouraged well in advance to take alternative routes. Signs warning of the traffic closure, and advising motorists to use alternative routes, will be installed ahead of intersections leading to these alternative routes. A total of about 10 such signs will be installed prior to the start of construction. Advertisements will also be placed in the local newspapers notifying of lane closures and possible traffic delays.

Upon reviewing last year's construction of the Dedicated Fire Protections System pipelinealong Pender Street, it was determined that projects that present significant impacts on traffic should have a dedicated staff member regularly updating the City's Website, media outlets and producing related news releases and advertisements. Having a dedicated individual regularly updating the public and media outlets will provide a greater level of service to the public during the construction of these projects. This individual will be responsible for communicating updates for all the large engineering projects planned for this construction season, such as the left turn bays on Clark at First Avenue, the construction work on Georgia Street and the reconstruction of the Nanaimo and Lakewood Bridges. As a result, $40,000 is being requested for a temporary Engineering Assistant for six to eight months and required office equipment.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

Originally, the conceptual design of the project was estimated at $1.9 million in 1994, assuming a portion of the required width was to be provided by properties on the east side of Clark Drive. However, upon refining the design, it was decided to widen to the west to avoid having to narrow the sidewalks and pedestrian environment on the east side of Clark Drive. This change increased the estimated cost by approximately $100,000, in addition to increases of $200,000 due to inflation and $100,000 for consultant services. As a result, the project including the construction of Contract 9923, associated work by City Forces, City Overhead and contingency, is now estimated to be $2.3 million. Sufficient funds are available from the Home Depot contribution, approved City funds, and the TransLink contribution.

CONCLUSION

The General Manager of Engineering Services recommends that Council authorize the award of Contract 9923 - Clark Drive Retaining Walls to JJM Construction Ltd. and approve $40,000 for temporary staffing and equipment to provide a greater level of service to the public during this greater than normal construction season.

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