Three Public Works projects under way in Richmond County are on time and under budget, said Public Works Director Bryan Land.
The three projects began last year and are the taxi-way extension at Richmond County Airport, Fox Road Phase II waterline extension, and the Waterline and Pump Station Relocation on Highway 220 north.
The Richmond County Airport taxiway extension was funded by the North Carolina Department of Transportation, and is being worked on by Barnhill Construction, LLC.
Public Works Director Bryan Land said the current taxiway is 4,000 feet long and will be 5,000 feet when finished, making the airport safer. The Richmond County Airport is located at 565 Airport Road in Rockingham. According to Land, the total project will cost around $700,000 to complete.
“The biggest thing is that planes won’t need to back-taxi for take-off,” said Land. “It was a safety concern. That project is winding down now. I think they are doing the electrical work this week but they are 99 percent done.”
The Fox Road Phase II project, being completed by Concord Builders, received positive response from Land due to the ease of funding.
“One of the largest accomplishments of all on this project was the funding assistance that we have been able to secure for the project,” said Land before the project began at the end of the year. “Richmond County will only be responsible for approximately one percent of the total cost, not the standard 10 percent that we are accustomed to cost-sharing. This is almost unheard of for a project of this magnitude and speaks volumes to the teamwork and many hours of sweat equity that goes into these projects, not just from Richmond County, but also Municipal Engineering and the numerous state funding agencies that were involved in making the dream of county water to the residents of the Fox Road area a dream come true.”
“The project will consist of constructing a 12-foot waterline that will run along Fox Road and N.C. Highway 177,” said Ben Clawson, project manager with Municipal Engineering, before the project began. “The length of this line will be approximately 25,000 linear feet and also include fire hydrants and other related appurtenances.”
“They are doing a really good job,” said Land about the work taking place on Fox Road. “They have good, sandy soil and a nice, wide shoulder. They are probably 35 percent of the way through.”
Things are moving forward slowly on the Waterline and Pump Station Relocation on Highway 220 north, but the project is still on schedule. The project is being handled by DeVere Construction of Raleigh.
“The water booster pump station is part of the Department of Transportation’s project where they are adding service roads and access to Highway 220,” said Billy Dixon, senior engineer with Municipal Engineering. “The pump station is on the right side of the highway if you are going north. The work begins at the end of March and it’s based on a lump sum bid. The project is going to the lowest responsible bidder. It’s funded by Richmond County through the North Carolina Department of Transportation. It’s not part of the DOT project but it impacts it.”
According to Land, this pump station construction will cost between $600,000 and $800,000.
“They are just getting going,” said Land. “They started work about three weeks ago. They have probably put down about 3,500 feet of line, and they have their bores completed, where they bore under the existing concrete road. They have not started on the pump station, they have to relocate the waterline first. They are supposed to be done in May of 2013 and everything is on schedule.”
Land said, so far, all three projects are under-budget and he said he believes it will remain that way unless unforeseen situations turn up.
— Staff Writer Dawn M. Kurry can be reached at 910-997-3111, ext. 15, or by email at dkurry@heartlandpublications.com.
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