Dufresne Group Selected for Hardwick Mackville Road Reconstruction Design
05.19.14
The Town of Hardwick has selected Dufresne Group to complete final design for the reconstruction of Mackville Road. Based on information provided by Public Works Employees, the Town has previously attempted to reconstruct this road, but heavy clay materials and high ground water proved to be more difficult than anticipated. The Town has received an 80% grant from VTrans to complete final design of the roadway reconstruction and anticipates to complete construction using additional grant funds from the VTrans Class 2 Road Program.
During the development of our proposal, Dufresne Group identified a 4-inch transite water main with fire hydrant connections that the Town may wish to have replaced concurrently with the road reconstruction. Dufresne Group offered to include the water main design as a bid additive alternate at no additional cost to the Town. Once bids are received, the Town will be able to evaluate costs and decide if inclusion of the water main in the contract is desired.
Dufresne Group has also assisted the Town of Hardwick to submit a priority list application for the Drinking Water Revolving Loan Program administered from the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) to assist with payment of the water main costs, which will not be eligible for reimbursement through the VTrans road grant. Placement on the priority list will allow Town official to take advantage of low or negative interest loans for completion of the water main work.
Since VTrans doesn't typically fund underground utilities, and ANR doesn't fund road improvements, combining the two programs to complete utility replacement projects concurrently with road reconstruction projects optimizes the use of both of these funding programs for the maximum benefit of tax and rate payers. Dufresne Group looks forward to working with the Town of Hardwick again, and working with another project utilizing ANR and VTrans programs to replace utilities and rebuild a road, instead of the traditional program of cutting open a freshly paved road to replace or repair an aged utility.
