Armour Road to be closed for $9.5 million reconstruction

The project is expected to begin in July and be completed in fall

Armour Road is expected to close between Hunter Street East and Parkhill Road, starting in July and ending in the fall, for a $9.5-million reconstruction and resurfacing job.

At a committee meeting on Monday night, councillors gave preliminary approval to hire a construction company — GIP Paving of Bowmanville — to do the work.

The plan still needs a final vote at a city council meeting later this month to be a done deal.

It will cost about $6.4 million for construction, according to a city staff report, and the overall budget additional costs such as taxes, culvert replacement costs already incurred, plus engineering and contract administration, for a grand total of $9.5 million.

The city had received bids from three firms in a competitive process that ended April 27.

GIP Paving had bid $6.4 million, Elirpa Construction from Pickering $8.5 million and Dufferin Construction of Oakville $8.6 million.

Coun. Alex Bierk asked city staff why the two other firms had bid $2 million more than GIP Paving.

“How is this company able to save $2 million — and what are we going to lose, potentially?” he asked.

Blair Nelson, the design manager for the city, said staff is “confident” that GIP will do the expected work for the cost quoted.

“The firm has previously done the work upstream — they are operating under a different name, but they’re essentially the same company,” he said.

“We are confident in their abilities. We are seeing some volatile pricing right now.”

The plan is to rebuild the section of Armour Road between Hunter Street East and Clifton Street in East City.

The work will include new pedestrian signals at Douro Street, new storm and sanitary sewers and new water mains.

There will also be new street lights, street trees and stormwater management infrastructure.

The city already had $6,950,000 set aside for the project.

A further $1,550,000 is expected from Peterborough Utilities Group to replace a water main along that stretch of Armour Road during construction, the report states.

However that leaves the project $1 million short; councillors also gave preliminary approval Monday to precommit that $1 million in the 2024 budget.

‘‘ How is this company able to save $2 million — and what are we going to lose, potentially.

ALEX BIERK COUNCILLOR