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Public Works and Department of Public Utilities - Lessons Learned on Recent Projects Including DP Road and Bathtub Row
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County Councilor Melanee Hand requested a discussion of recent county construction projects and their impact on adjacent property owners and businesses.
The County’s Public Works Department coordinates roadway reconstruction efforts with the Department of Public Utilities so that opportunities to address aging utility infrastructure are also performed if necessary. Without this coordination, new roadway infrastructure may then be compromised by any subsequent repair of aged, failing utility services that require roadway excavation and asphalt patching. Coordinated projects of this nature not only lessen the construction impact on road users and adjacent property owners but provide significant cost savings for construction related expenses such as contractor mobilization and traffic control. Lastly, coordinated road and utility projects help the county maintain a better pavement condition index for the long term to reduce the chance of underground utility failures and associated road repairs.
The need for housing in Los Alamos County is at the forefront, and the road and utility infrastructure to support it is essential but can be a long and tedious process to implement.
The County realizes when a project spans multiple seasons or has back-to-back phases along the same route, it may generate a sense of construction fatigue with the traveling public and adjacent property owners and businesses.
As a result, the County has developed a lessons learned approach for recent projects like DP Road and the Bathtub Row Improvements, and for future projects looking forward such as the Trinity Drive Safety Improvements. Some highlights of these lessons learned include:
Lessons Learned - Project Planning
· Closely consider construction fatigue with programming projects, scheduling work and the timing of projects including developer led pu...
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