Interchange money OK'd, pit bull hero honored
| Wednesday, Nov 18 2009 08:17 PM
Last Updated Wednesday, Nov 18 2009 08:17 PM
The Bakersfield City Council approved 6-0 an additional $714,000 for the construction management firm overseeing work on the interchange at Highway 178 and Fairfax Road Wednesday night.
Councilmember Sue Benham asked staff whether the city should protect itself against future surprises as construction on several other major road projects involving the same contractor, Security Paving Co., move forward. Staffers said they would report back on options.
Raul Rojas, Bakersfield's public works director, told the council delays weren't the fault of the contractor or construction manager. Utility relocation, changes requested by state officials and other blips have kept construction managers on site longer than expected.
"It's unfortunate that some media coverage has made this look a little different than it really is," he said.
City Manager Alan Tandy told councilmembers the "charming, lovely" project has been extraordinarily complicated to pull off. He said it was a "disservice" to imply work had been mismanaged or the interchange was somehow tragically flawed.
"That's not correct," he said.
The interchange has attracted public interest recently as opening of the westbound offramp was delayed due to a design flaw. The ramp will need to be demolished, redesigned and rebuilt. Extra costs involving the design flaw will be paid by the designer.
Additional funds for construction manager Parsons Transportation Group, which will be paid mostly by federal money, are unrelated to the design flaw, city officials say.
Staffers told the council Wednesday the contract had been based on an assumed expedited completion of the project. But the 2007 staff report recommending Parsons get the nearly $3 million job didn't specify a set timeline, mention the cost was based on an expedited schedule nor warn the price would rise if delays were encountered.
Councilmember Ken Weir was absent.
In other business:
* Mayor Harvey Hall presented the Mayor's Medal of Appreciation to Andy Castaneda, the 69-year-old who saved Steven Herrera from a pit bull attack with his cane. Herrera also stood at the podium, his arm in a sling.
* The council recognized outstanding employees, including an Extra Mile Award for retiring City Clerk Pam McCarthy.
* Legal staff said a $650,000 settlement had been completed with Magdy Aboelghar, whose wife and son were killed on Truxtun Avenue three years ago when an oncoming pickup truck launched over the median.
