1. Neighborhood meeting will be held for Residents from 1900 Chisholm Trail to the Old Mill Road across from Brookshires, and those home directly across from the new development on Salado Plaza Road who experienced the water and flooding of this week's heavy rain. The meeting with the Mayor will take place in the Municipal Building at 6:30 P.M.
Circulars announcing the meeting were distributed door-to-door this morning.
House-to-House went Skip and Hollye making sure everyone got the word.
Les, a resident on Chisholm, talking to Skip about the water that went through his backyard and covered his front yard.
2. The First and the Present -- Nothing changes except for the technology
Saturday morning, Shane Barrier, Present Fire Chief, and Johnny Butler, the First Salado Fire Chief, renewed acquaintances and discussed the evolution of the Volunteer Fire Department. The stories they shared told of heroism, courage, and trying times.
Shane Barrier and Johnny Butler in the #2 Fire Department across from the High School.
Below is the picture of the first Salado Fire Department.
3. Delay on I-35 this Sunday afternoon.
When I-35 traffic backs-up due to a wreck or one-lane closure, traffic is routed to the Salado frontage road. Often, a large truck finds its way to Main Street and then radios other trucks that it is easier to go Main Street than the frontage road. Cars follow. All of this makes it unsafe for residents and visitors. There have been times when people walking down Main Street have come close to being hit.
The Salado Police will block Main street when this begins to happen making it inconvenient for residents who are coming home. In the future, please tell the officer blocking the road that you are a resident of Salado. If he does not let you through please let the Mayor know immediately.
Unfortunately, blocking Main Street is the only way to stop traffic going down Main Street. That makes for another problem. If traffic is detoured down Holland Road, they try to take Baines Street or Blackberry. Baines is residential and the one-lane bridge on Blackberry and Amity will not take semi-trucks, however, they will try if given the opportunity. It has happened several times in the last 6-months.
The other problem we are having on Main Street is speeding. The Chief has been told to start writing speeding tickets. The speed limit is 30 not 45 or 60 MPH. It will make some people upset, but the safety of residents and visitors is paramount. Please stay in the speed limit.
It has been discussed with TxDot to have State Troopers covering the Salado stretch of I-35 to slow down traffic or give tickets to speeders. The reason given that they cannot give tickets is that it is unsafe to stop a vehicle in the construction area. It has been recommended that a Trooper be at the beginning or end of the construction giving tickets to speeders.
It is time to invite the Supervising State Trooper to a meeting with the Mayor and Aldermen/lady.
VR/Skip
I-35 wrecks seem to be becoming a common occurrence through James Construction Group work zone more so than any project we've been reading about and experiencing.
ReplyDeleteWith the out of sequence phasing and TCP changes being made that we are able recognize that are being done, it might be a good idea to verify and see if the uncompleted work areas are adversely impacting the accumulation of water or drainage or if the newly installed underground drainage systems function correctly from the south end of the NB main lanes north and vice versa. IT also might be a good idea and verify the lanes and make sure the gores and everything else is spaced and installed for speed limits posted.
At Bechtel they teach everyone to inspect everything and never expect contractors to actually follow the plans or specifications. It isn't uncommon for close and go construction to save money when contracts are exact by nature. With all the uncompleted work and issues that surround the project, we don't know how TxDOT and their consultants have tolerated this for as long as they have.
We would hope TxDOT increases DPS through the work zones and slow down the public especially during rain events. If and when you drive NB on the Interstate through Thomas Arnold north past 2484 and through the temporary ramps, the roadways do have a steady stream of water flowing like a river in some areas. It is doubtful this was taken into account with all the changes made to the contract phasing and TCP drawings. The hydraulics and drainage systems must be taken into account when design or stages change from that as contracted. Somebody should be paying attention the water flows and identify the issues and fix those or we will more than likely experience more of the same.
Maybe James Construction Group's VP can stay awake long enough to visually see the projects conditions and take the necessary steps to complete the project. That guy that fed him needs to stop feeding him so he can keeps his eyes opened and do the job he supposed to be doing.
ReplyDeleteIt is awful strange that James Construction Group's new executive management team Mr. Rudy Polselli AKA Sleepy or Mr. Phil Anzaldo AKA scrap gate haven't had the courtesy to come introduce themselves to our community or by what we are all witnessing, they must not posses the knowledge or know how to take control of the project and see it through.
Reading their online bio's and other articles, it's doubtful they'll be any help whatsoever and probably make matters worse than they already are.
It was our understanding that Thomas Arnold overpass was supposed to be 100% complete long ago. It isn't nor is the southbound frontage south. It is taking a lot longer than what we were led to believe it take. Unacceptable. We wonder what they screwed up and why it’s taking so long.
ReplyDeleteAlso if the specifications on the topsoil depth is supposed to meet TxDOT standard specifications then these soils should meet the Topsoil sieve analysis sieve and nutrient value requirements throughout the entire project. WE hope the rocks and oversized materials isn’t the specification otherwise we’ll be left to deal with at a later date.
Know that we are becoming better educated how TxDOT operates, we truly do appreciate all the hard work they are doing for making sure that all work is in strict compliance of the contract. We feel a little better knowing we are in good hands and with TxDOT constantly babysitting their management teams thus ensuring we get a quality project when TxDOT is done. Even though it might not be timely or close the completion dates we've been told, at least the quality will be that of what we taxpayers paid for. By the looks of some of the work, job security for the lucky one who gets to be responsible finalizing the contract and punch list of items. That group of people left to complete the punch list, we will all learn to appreciate by the sounds of what is rumored to exist.
Mayor – from our perspective James Construction Group's executive management team Mr. Rudy Polselli and Mr. Phil Anzaldo should’ve taken control of the mess that we understand solely rests of the shoulders of their knuckleheads overseeing the work now. For those two to allow this management team continue down the present road is only going to prolong the project and make a bigger mess than these three clowns make.
ReplyDeleteIt isn’t a big secret that the area manager, assistant PM (the guy that acts likes he's on drugs or lost most the time rambling on about nothing), and their dirt superintendent are ones managing the project aren’t the smartest of people nor really understand how to accomplish the milestones being represented. We sit back and watch their circus with great disgust and are fed up with their lies and deceit or them playing poor me. We often wonder watching them how these three clowns on a daily basis are allowed to get away with some of the stupidest stuff. It is rumored that the remaining few good people left will be leaving sometime in May when Balfour Beatty kicks off and steals them away. You think we have a mess now, wait until the good ones leave. We know that TxDOT and their consultants have their hands full now babysitting and bottle feeding those three now, wait until the remaining few good ones leave, we won’t see anything accomplished right then.
We are fed up with James Construction Group management team playing the blame game and not living up the milestones we've been told. If one didn’t know better we’d think Obama was running the project and he then would blame Bush.
I overhead some of their workers arguing at supper last night over the thickness and thinness of the PCC paving and various other latent defects that is rumored throughout the project. If there is any merit, it might be good to know the actual date when TxDOT feels the project will be substantially completed. TxDOT should have their updated CPM identifying substantial completion that might be helpful to share on the blog. This update is supposed to take into account all the major items of work that impacts the community including but not limited to future lane restrictions, lane closures or where latent defects are known to exist but they might be holding off on fixing thinking this work will be handled on punch list in anticipation of stopping the penalties and RUC damages. The contract identifies substantial completion that we expect is being followed.
ReplyDeletePlease keep in mind, if the concrete placed isn’t too thin then that won’t adversely the ride quality or life expectancy of the PCC paving providing the rebar mat embed is fine but thick concrete becomes an issue. The thick concrete poses a much bigger problem with spalling, cracking, future potholes, and life expectancy due to the placement of rebar mats. This could adversely impact our traffic flows or hamper the public if traffic is moved to final configuration and PCC paving has to be removed and replaced on feeder roads or main lanes. It would be good to know how this could affect or impact the final ride quality unless TxDOT is using the performance bonus or deduct for ride quality.
In today’s age thin or thick concrete leads me to believe someone didn’t perform quality control on their substrates and installed bond breaker on completed cement treated base that wasn’t ready for the PCC paving tolerances. In today’s world even the bond breaker has to be verified as to ride quality of surface ride otherwise PCC paving mat placement becomes an issue that haunts taxpayers has roads become unraveled and potholed. There must not be a QA/QC overseeing substrates if PCC paving has any latent defects relating to thin or thick PCC paving.
There isn’t any reason whatsoever were TxDOT should allow non-conforming work or defective work to remain in place or be put off until a later date. By contract we expect the quality of the work is to be verbatim as contracted that we’ve all paid for including substantial completion. If we expect the public bidding system of low bid to remain competitive then low bid must perform the identical work as everyone else who bid the project.
We are forever grateful to TxDOT for having a highly dedicated team of skilled professionals overseeing the project. When it is all said and done, we need to honor them in a town hall meeting.