In general,
there are four basic stages to the construction process.
- Planning
and Design
- Pre-Construction
- Construction
- Post
Construction
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 Planning and
design primarily involve "behind the scenes" preparation
by the City and the engineers to assure the most
cost-effective, easy-to-operate and easy-to-maintain
solution for the residents of Cape Coral. If you
live or work in the affected areas you may see surveyors
taking measurements of existing conditions for the
engineers to use in developing designs. |
The
pre-construction phase is when the pace steps up a notch
but still may not be evident to the general
public. Activities include:
- Competitive bidding
by a pre-qualified group of local contractors. KBR reviewed the qualifications of area
contractors and developed a "short list"
of the most qualified.
- Documenting
existing conditions - crews will videotape
properties, streets, and driveways so they can put
things back when construction is complete.
- Establishing
right-of-ways - specifying where on each lot
construction will take place.
- Setting staging
areas - locating sites where equipment and
materials can be kept while the utilities are under
construction.
- Preparing the
documentation necessary to obtain the required
permits.
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Some of the things the video crews will be paying close attention to when documenting conditions
include:
- Driveways
- Landscaping
- Grass
- Mailboxes
- Conditions of houses and buildings
- Seawalls
- Fences
We want to make sure that each of these items are restored to as equal or better condition after construction is complete. |
Our goal is to keep disruption to a minimum. Only a short section of trench will be open at a time and even that will be back-filled or plated over at night. During construction, temporary locations will be provided for school bus pick-up, trash pick-up and mail delivery as required.
- Access
to homes & businesses
- Special
needs & Emergency vehicles
- Mail
delivery
- School
bus stops
- Garbage
pickup
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This brings us to
the next phase in the process and the most
visible—construction. During this phase,
utility lines will be installed in the ground.
But before that, notifications will be provided
to property owners with information about
construction dates using door hangers and
printed notices. |
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The first step in the construction process is to
remove the existing road surface. |
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Next, the existing
water table must be lowered to facilitate
digging in the immediate area. A series of
shallow well points will be installed and the
water pumped to a nearby canal. |
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Barriers will be constructed to minimize the
sound produced by the pumps, which will
oftentimes be running around the clock. |
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Gravity sewer lines and manholes are installed under the
streets. They range in depth from 4 feet to almost 20 feet down. Since these lines are deeper, progress is slower and disruption
is greater for sewer than for water and secondary water. |
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Safety standards require sloping these trenches. Trench boxes will be used for the deeper excavations, but in many cases the entire width of the road will be dug up. |
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The water and secondary water lines are then installed. These lines are much shallower and are installed in much narrower trenches along either side of the road. |
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In some cases, the driveways will need to be cut in order to install these shallow lines. A narrow trench will be made and a temporary gravel repair will be provided at the end of the workday. |
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The final driveway repair will consist of removal and replacement of
a minimum of 3 feet of driveway apron. Additional reinforcing steel will also be installed to beef up the corners. |
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This is a picture of final restoration completed on the North Loop project. |
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For undeveloped lots, seeding and mulching are provided instead of sod. |
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| >>Continue
on to learn more about the right-of-way. |
