Cars pass under a completed section of the Brawley Bypass in May. (JOSELITO VILLERO) |
Brawley Bypass’ final work phase may start soon, after a construction meeting last week laid out state guidelines to the company completing the project.
Granite Construction, based in Watsonville with an office in El Centro, announced early this week that it was awarded the $29.5 million contract to construct the four-lane highway from Highway 86 east to where phase two will end next to the New River. The project bypasses the city of Brawley’s Main Street to ease traffic in the area.
Work may begin in early February, said Jacque Fourchy with Granite Construction. The company will use its local work force to do the job that should be completed in mid-2012.
A press release from the company spelled out the process that will take place in the next year.
Work will begin with excavating the current road and prepping the surrounding area for the additional lanes, according to the press release. The company will use a hot-mix asphalt and continuously reinforced concrete pavement to build the four new lanes.
A majority of the materials will come from the company’s Indio office, according to the press release.
There has already been talk of a lot of movement in hiring for the area, said Sam Amen, Imperial County project manager for the California Department of Transportation. The multimillion-dollar job will bring a lot to the area.
“I think it’s good for the Valley,” he added.
The contract was awarded in late November and approved mid-December, he said. However, because of the holidays, a pre-construction meeting didn’t take place until last week.
Granite Construction was one of two companies that bid below the engineer’s estimate, but Granite was the lowest at about $4 million less, Amen said. The savings will go back to the state’s Proposition 1B fund for other projects.
Staff Writer Elizabeth Varin can be reached at evarin@ivpressonline.com or 760-337-3441.
Granite Construction, based in Watsonville with an office in El Centro, announced early this week that it was awarded the $29.5 million contract to construct the four-lane highway from Highway 86 east to where phase two will end next to the New River. The project bypasses the city of Brawley’s Main Street to ease traffic in the area.
Work may begin in early February, said Jacque Fourchy with Granite Construction. The company will use its local work force to do the job that should be completed in mid-2012.
A press release from the company spelled out the process that will take place in the next year.
Work will begin with excavating the current road and prepping the surrounding area for the additional lanes, according to the press release. The company will use a hot-mix asphalt and continuously reinforced concrete pavement to build the four new lanes.
A majority of the materials will come from the company’s Indio office, according to the press release.
There has already been talk of a lot of movement in hiring for the area, said Sam Amen, Imperial County project manager for the California Department of Transportation. The multimillion-dollar job will bring a lot to the area.
“I think it’s good for the Valley,” he added.
The contract was awarded in late November and approved mid-December, he said. However, because of the holidays, a pre-construction meeting didn’t take place until last week.
Granite Construction was one of two companies that bid below the engineer’s estimate, but Granite was the lowest at about $4 million less, Amen said. The savings will go back to the state’s Proposition 1B fund for other projects.
Staff Writer Elizabeth Varin can be reached at evarin@ivpressonline.com or 760-337-3441.
