Ocean Pines Approves $40K Change Order For Bridge Repair

Ocean Pines Approves $40K Change Order For Bridge Repair
File Photo

BERLIN – Faced with no alternative, leaders of the Ocean Pines Association voted last week to approve a change order related to bridge repairs.

On Friday, the Ocean Pines Association Board of Directors voted unanimously to approve a $40,000 change order associated with the repair of the bridge across Ocean Parkway. The additional funding will pay for the utilities to go across the bridge.

“From a functional standpoint, it’ll be the same as what you had before,” said John Ross, deputy director of Worcester County Public Works.

According to Jerry Aveta, director of facilities for the association, he spoke to Ross last year about the repairs planned to improve the condition of the aging bridges in Ocean Pines. At that time, Ross said the county wanted to move the utilities from the top of the Ocean Parkway bridge, where they have been for years, and place them underground.

“By the time we actually started executing the project, the county no longer had the funds to do the tunneling,” Aveta explained.

Planners then went back and redesigned the repairs so that the bridge could continue to accommodate the utilities on top. The necessary changes, which involve the installation of long span pipe across the bridge, will cost the association an extra $40,000.

Ross said his department was in the midst of making $5.3 million in improvements to the local water and wastewater system. That work, he said, was being paid for by a bond. He initially thought some of the bond funds could be reallocated to pay for the moving the utilities.

“The funding is not there anymore,” he said.

Furthermore, putting the utilities underground is a time consuming process. Ross said it would take at least six months of planning to do the work in spite of the fact that the Ocean Pines Association was prepared to begin the bridge repairs now.

Board members asked why the cost should be covered by the association.

Ross explained that the expense would be borne by association members whether it was covered by the county or Ocean Pines. He said water and wastewater in the Ocean Pines service area was self-supporting. Expenses incurred in the service area are funded through the bills paid by users.

“It would show up on your water bill …,” Ross said. “Because of the fact that it’s the same people paying for it the most expeditious way of getting this done was this (change order) procedure.”

Director Dave Stevens asked whether installing the utilities this way would have any impact on residents. Aveta said the long span pipe would be an improvement aesthetically and would not function any differently than the existing pipe.

“You probably won’t even notice it,” he said, adding that it would not be directly on the sidewalk like the pipes were now. “You’ll have the sidewalks free.”