Barrington train station paving costs rise
Inadequate soil conditions in the north commuter parking lot of the Barrington train station have led to an unanticipated increase in the cost of the resurfacing project.
The base soil contains a lot of organic matter and moisture, and was therefore not stable enough to be simply paved over, said Greg Summers, the village's director of engineering and building, reported during a committee of the whole meeting on Monday night.
"It was a surprise," Summers said, because soil testing performed before the start of the project "showed fairly decent soil."
Instead, workers had to stabilize the base soil with Portland cement mix, apply extra asphalt and improve drainage to different portions of the commuter lot.
The total extra costs amount to $186,300.
The project was originally expected to cost $946,000. The final overrun is estimated at $91,300, or 9.6 percent of the original contract, Summers said, because a $95,000 credit will be applied for resurfacing work on Liberty Street, west of Hough Street, that will be postponed to next spring or summer.
Only cost overruns that exceed 10 percent of a contract require authorization by the village board.
The overrun resurfacing costs will be taken out of the village's parking system fund, which has "sufficient cash," said Jason Hayden, the village's director of community and financial services. Budget projections for the parking fund in fiscal year 2010 estimated that the fund would have an ending cash balance of $1.2 million.
Work in lot 4 and the east half of lot 12 has been completed, while work in lot 11 will be finished by midweek, Summers said. Work in the west half of lot 12 will begin Thursday and should be finished within 10 working days, he said.
The Portland cement mix has "hardened like a rock," and any frost heave, if at all, should only amount to one or two inches, he said.
The north commuter lot remains 75 percent open at all times, but village officials recommend allocating extra time for parking because of the ongoing work.