Church Road Improvement Project
Main Street to Heather Drive
Church Road was constructed over 50 years ago as a rural country road and annexed into Ferndale over time. It is substandard in width with no shoulders or sidewalks. Church Road is demonstrating structural failure of the chip seal surface over a minimal road base and cannot accommodate added capacity needed to support traffic volumes in the region. The roadway is presently in such poor and deteriorated condition that drivers avoid the route.
The road has been identified as one of the top 20 of regionally significant routes in Whatcom County, as it is a major north-south traffic connector that provides access to Ferndale’s downtown business, commercial and industrial districts, as well as the nearby refineries and industrial and commercial properties in the region. The project is the next logical step in creating an integral link between the reconstructed Main Street (completed in Spring 2013) and Thornton Road, both of which have also been identified as a regionally significant, thereby expanding access to I-5.
City officials received a Washington State Trust Fund loan and $300,000 federal grant through the Surface Transportation Program for the initial design and right-of-way acquisition phase of this project.
Construction is estimated to cost approximately $4 million. Work on the project is confirmed to start in 2014, thanks to nearly $3 million in grant funding secured by City staff via a $800,000 state grant award from the Transportation Improvement Board and $1.98 million federal grant award from the Surface Transportation Program. Additional funding will be provided through the City’s Transportation Benefit District, as well as utility funds for the water, sewer and stormwater improvements planned as part of the project.
News & Information
- Project News
- Project Photos at our Facebook Page
- Information Flyer About The Project (PDF Document)
Bid Process
Note to bidders: If you download plans and specifications from this website, please email tonisegerman@cityofferndale.org to be added to the planholders list.
File Size note: Plans & Specifications files are very large. Save a copy to your computer by right-clicking the file and choosing “Save As.”
- Engineer’s Estimate Range: $3 million to $3.7 million
- Pre-Bid Meeting: 10 a.m. March 17, 2014 at Ferndale City Hall Main Conference Room, 2095 Main St., Ferndale, WA 98248 (Job site visit may follow upon request)
- Bid Opening: 4 p.m. March 26, 2014 at Ferndale City Hall Main Conference Room, 2095 Main St., Ferndale, WA, 98248
- Invitation & Call for Bids
- Planholders List – Published March 25, 2014
- Information for Bidders – Published 8:30 a.m. March 26, 2014
- Project Plans: 11″ x 17″ (Half Size) — 22″ x 33″ (Full Size)
- Project Specifications
- Addendum No. 1 — Issued March 21, 2014
- Record of Bid Opening — Published March 27, 2014
- Bid Tabulation — Published March 27, 2014
Construction
The Ferndale City Council awarded the project construction contract to low bidder Colacurcio Brothers, Inc. of Blaine, WA, for their bid price of $3,034,789.80, after receiving concurrence to award from the Transportation Improvement Board and Washington State Department of Transportation (which oversee spending of project state and federal grant funds).
Construction is estimated to begin early May 2014 and be completed by November 2014. Due to complexity, tight confines and scheduling constraints, Church Road (between Main and Thornton streets) will be closed to all through traffic during construction. Additional closure information, including a detour route map, is available here.
An open house will be scheduled for late April where contractor representatives, project management staff, designers and inspectors, will be available to answer questions. Please check back soon for details.
The Ferndale Public Works Department is always happy to answer questions about our ongoing capital improvement projects. Please contact us at (360) 384-4006. Project information is posted on our website and Facebook page.