Contract approved for Somers Ave. reconstruction

Whitefish City Council March 6 approved an engineering contract for the planned reconstruction of Somers Avenue.

Council OK’d a contract with Robert, Peccia & Associates for a contract in the amount of $116,200. The project consists of reconstructing Somers Avenue from Eighth Street to Second Street.

Public Works Director Craig Workman said the work includes the first phase of the engineering and the project is expected to break ground in spring of 2018.

“This project is next on the list with resort tax funds,” he said.

Council in 2014 moved Somers Avenue up on its priority list for resort tax funded reconstruction projects. At the time, the street was second in line behind West Seventh Street, which the city reconstructed last summer.

A portion of the revenue from Whitefish’s 3 percent resort tax is used to rebuild city streets.

The plan for Somers is to reconstruct about six blocks, and does not include the Somers Avenue intersections at Eighth Street or East Second Street.

The project includes replacing the existing water main within the street and upgrading the storm drainage located at the intersection.

The project consists of reconstructing all existing roadway surfacing, but is anticipated that most of the existing sidewalk will remain, expect at intersections.

Workman said public outreach on the project will begin this spring with preliminary design taking place this summer and final design is anticipated for completion in February 2018.