Stonington drainage project costs continue to increase for town
Stonington — The Board of Finance learned Wednesday night that it likely will have to approve up to $80,000 more to complete a project designed to provide relief from flooding for some homeowners on Meadow and Bayview avenues.
The $80,000 will go to pay to remove 200 feet of unexpected ledge the contractor has encountered. That would bring the town’s total investment in the project now to more than $315,000. The extra rock removal was not part of the original contract.
“This is the nightmare that keeps on giving,” quipped Board of Finance member Glenn Frishman.
In September the board approved $65,279 to replace a drainage line that brings water from Bayview Avenue into an outlet system that drains into tidal wetlands near the Amtrak line. The water eventually makes its way into Little Narragansett Bay.
The money came in addition to the $170,000 the town had set aside since 2011 to pay for the work, but the need for permitting, obtaining easements, plan changes, establishing a contingency fund and inspection services resulted in the need for the additional $65,279.
Town Engineer Scott Deledda told the board Wednesday that work has stopped on the project after the contractor encountered the ledge.
He said the town has considered three alternatives to deal with the ledge: blasting, mechanical removal and rerouting the line. He said the latter approach cannot be done because of easement issues.
Blasting is estimated to be the cheaper option at an estimated $60,000, with mechanical removal at $73,000. There would be an additional cost of about $4,200 to bring in new gravel to replace the ledge.
There is concern that the vibration from both blasting and mechanical removal could damage nearby infrastructure such as a water tower and water lines.
“This is just in an area where there’s a lot of unknowns,” Deledda said.
About 15 years ago blasting to replace a water line in the neighborhood damaged some foundations and flooded some basements.
The Board of Finance agreed to have Deledda hire a vibration consultant at a cost of about $25,000 to determine which method poses the least risk.
Deledda expects to return to the board within the next month or two with the consultant’s report and then ask the board to allocate the additional money to remove the ledge.
Residents of the neighborhood have been pressing town officials to fix the problem since the spring flood of 2010.
In the fall of 2010, the town spent $9,200 to unclog the drainage line from Meadow Avenue and the outlet system of roots and debris. The town declared that project a success but warned the pipe from Bayview Avenue to the outlet system eventually would have to be replaced. The flooding, though, has continued.
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