Highway project delayed again
Landscaping will take at least 3 months to finish

The completion of landscaping along state route 95, between Swanson and Mesquite Avenues, is three months from completion at the very earliest, according to an Arizona Department of Transportation engineer. The landscaping, which was begun last year but has stood unfinished since last December, could take six months or longer to complete.

“It’s just unfortunately taken a long time to work through our system,” said Mike Kondelis, district engineer for Kingman.

The transportation department has yet to begin advertising for bids for the project, which was originally estimated to cost between $450,000 and $500,000. Those prices may now have escalated to as high as $700,000, however, adding further complication to the contract, said acting director of public works Mark Clark.

“Part of the problem may be some escalation in the final cost,” said Clark. “That may be one of their concerns.”

Once the bid is advertised, it would take at least three months before construction could begin. Yet even the advertisement of bids could be several months away.

“I don’t have a firm date when we can expect advertisement,” said Kondelis. “I can’t guarantee that it’s going to be out before the end of this fiscal year.”

The unfinished landscaping has led to some consternation within the community, who have focused complaints on the rock-filled gabion baskets. But the additional work will enhance the area with dense landscaping.

“Right now it’s dirt and rock and gabion baskets,” said Clark. “This will return it to a very densely landscaped area. There will be plants all over the place.”

Engineer Kondelis said that the delay was due to a high volume of projects slated to be finished before the end of the year, and the decision on when to put out the bids now rested with the main contracting office in Phoenix.

“We’re pushing it hard from the district level, and there’s only so much we can do from there,” Kondelis said. “It’s the last quarter of our fiscal year, and there an awful lot of big projects they want to get out before the end of the year. A project like this that’s relatively small, compared to a freeway project in Phoenix, might have a lower priority.”

Clark said that the city was disappointed in the continued delays, but praised the transportation department for its cooperation with the city on other transportation matters. In particular, ADOT has been helpful with the permitting process for the city monuments and Connecting Havasu demonstration areas, and traffic control for large public events such as Winterfest.

“We do appreciate their efforts on a lot of other activities,” Clark said.