Beatrice Board of Public Works recommends water project schedule shift

BEATRICE – A material delivery delay has pushed back the completion date for downtown Beatrice water main replacement work.  The Board of Public Works Wednesday recommended the city extend the completion date for Myers Construction, Inc. until November 30th….about two or three months later than first expected.

"It all had to do with the pipe not being available to start the project when they were anticipating starting."

B-P-W Manager Tobias Tempelmeyer says the change in time frame doesn’t alter the cost of the project, which is being financed with a state interest-free loan. Tempelmeyer says the company has also agreed to reverse the direction of the work, to help minimize disruption during the Homestead Days Celebration in late June.

"We did listen, we did hear the concerns about being in the downtown during Homestead Days...so we did talk to Myers. They're going to flip the direction of the Court Street project. Originally, they were going to start at 4th, and go east out to the Casey's....or Hayes Street. They are going to go the other direction.....start out by the Casey's....and come back to the west."

The effect of the change means that most of the work along Court Street would be between 10th and 12th Streets during the celebration…rather than the area between 6th to 8th, closer to the central business district.

Water Superintendent Steve Kelley says water main replacement is almost wrapped up along 4th Street, with water testing and completion of connections to the new line yet to be done, possibly starting Monday.  Meanwhile, the installation of the new transmission line at city wellfields has about three days of work left along the south side of the Big Blue River.  "Then they'll go on the north side and make the final connections. I'm estimated that should be done sometime around June 1st."  City water crews are working on projects along 20th Street from Grant to High Street….on Millikin between 6th and 8th…..and on Beaver Street.

Beatrice City Engineer James Burroughs says residents will begin to see a lot work going on around the community, as Pinpoint Communications and subcontractors begin a fiber installation process for improved internet service.