By Sara Beth Williams–
Nighttime roadwork could begin as early as September along a portion of Sunrise Boulevard and also on Macy Plaza Drive.
The City Council recently approved a construction contract with VSS International, Inc. for the resurfacing project during an Aug. 14 council meeting. According to the city, construction could begin as soon as sometime in September, with most resurfacing to take place overnight from 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m.
The project, which is part of a Three-Year-Pavement-Preservation Plan, has been expedited according to the city and will include multi-lane closures during the application of a three-layer resurfacing treatment.
The area to be resurfaced includes Sunrise Boulevard between Greenback Lane and Madison Avenue, and also includes Macy Plaza Drive from Sunrise Boulevard to Birdcage Street. According to the city, the project is considered a “resurfacing” project, not repaving.
“There’s minimal base repairs necessary,” General Services Director Regina Cave said during the council meeting, adding that the foundation beneath the streets still has “good bones,” which is why the city is resurfacing, instead of repaving.
Resurfacing is “a lot cheaper,” Cave said, adding that repaving requires all of the asphalt to be ground down and can damage detection loops beneath the surface that control signalized intersections. Detection loops allow for the management of traffic signals and are used to detect the weight of or the absence of the weight of a vehicle. Cave said it’s “very costly” to replace the loops.
Planned improvements for both Sunrise Boulevard and Macy Plaza Drive include mill-and-fill to address base failures, minor edge grinding and raising of utilities, full-width road resurfacing with a three-layer treatment, and restriping. The project will also include refreshing crosswalks with a colored brick pattern.
VSS’s bid for the total project is $1,680,325, and the overall cost estimate sits at a little over $2 million after construction management, inspection, material testing and a 15 percent contingency.
Funding will come from various sources, including Senate Bill 1 Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account and the General Fund Capital Infrastructure according to the city.
The city said project details have been communicated to the Sunrise MarketPlace along with adjacent residents who might be impacted. Plans will continue to be communicated throughout the course of the project, the city said.
