PRESS RELEASE
FULLER ROAD IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT IS MOVING FOWARD
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CHICOPEE – The Chicopee City Council has approved an appropriation of $45,000.00 to be transferred to the existing Highway Special Account for Land Takings from the Undesignated Fund Balance “Free Cash” Account per Mayor Richard J. Kos’ request. The funds are needed to finalize any land takings and easements required to meet the timeline for bidding through the Mass TIP.
Bids were received for this effort and the task will include the appraisal of 53 property easements and includes contingency. However, it does not include the potential awards to the property owners. Each appraisal will be reviewed according to MA DOT standards and guidelines and there will be an appraisal review for each report.
This decision comes as a succession to the recent Mayor’s request and City Council approval of $65,000.00 to be transferred from the Stabilization Fund to the D.P.W. Highway Special Account for the Fuller Road Design and Engineering. Said amount is to be reimbursed to the City from the Chapter 90 Funds.
As the original scope of services approached completion, a few additional items needed were required to reach 100% design. These items are required at the direction of the MassDOT.
“This $8.2 Million project will entail full reconstruction of Fuller Road from Memorial Drive to the 291 entrance ramp,” said Mayor Kos, “and will result in a vastly improved roadway in our City. The work is scheduled to commence in 2020.”
Design Revisions & Additional Services Performed to Date - $26,000
- Roadway Cross Section Modifications
- Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMP’s) to improve water quality
- Sewer and Storm Drain Replacement
- Adjust proposed design to incorporate planned improvements at Fuller Road and Memorial Drive intersection
- Right Of Way Plan Revisions on Fuller Road
- Additional Survey and Baseplan drafting additional area for the BMP design
- Test Pits for utility conflicts and modification of design based on findings
Geotechnical Borings & Exploration - $17,000
- Subsurface exploration for the subject site in accordance with the MassDOT LRFD Bridge Design Manual guidelines.
- Locate and mark the borings in the field for utility clearance
- Engage a drilling subcontractor to advance approximately seven (7) borings in close proximity to the proposed retaining walls
- Provide a geotechnical engineer to supervise and observe that proper drilling and sampling methods are utilized and make necessary adjustments
- Submit select soil samples to a geotechnical testing lab for index or strength testing of soil and/or rock.
- Prepare a geotechnical report summarizing the exploration and providing geotechnical recommendations
Structural Engineering - $7,000
- Design support for the required retaining walls, assuming that MassDOT’s predesigned standard detail E305.5.0 will be adequate for this project, will be provided
Layout & Alteration Plans - $15,000
- Two (2) alteration plans for Fuller Road in the locations where additional Right of Way is required at land owned by the City of Chicopee, will be prepared
- Layout plans for the full length of Fuller Road depicting the proposed layout will be prepared
CHA Consulting, Inc., the engineering firm designing the project, has provided the estimate to cover these items. CHA will work with the City of Chicopee to identify specific schedules for each additional task with an estimate of four to six weeks for completion.
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About CHA Consulting, Inc.
CHA Consulting, Inc. is a highly diversified, full-service engineering consulting firm that, along with its subsidiaries, provides a wide range of technology-enhanced planning and design services to public, private and institutional clients. CHA was ranked the 33rd largest design firm in the United States in 2018 by Engineering News-Record and has an annual revenue of $278 million. With technical personnel and offices throughout the United States and Canada, CHA offers engineering, architectural, survey, construction, and other services necessary to complete projects on time and within budget. The CHA Companies include CHA Tech Services, CHA Canada, Novara GeoSolutions, American Fire and PDT Architects. For more information, please visit www.chacompanies.com.