Midland Avenue Streetscape Project achieves milestone in November with paving completed

A milestone was achieved earlier this month on Basalt’s Midland Avenue Streetscape Project when primary asphalt paving was completed.

Stutsman Gerbaz, the contractor on the project, completed the paving on Nov. 15 and 16. 

Concrete placement for curbs, islands, crosswalks, and sidewalks were finished before the asphalt was poured.

---

---

“That was a massive effort. I’m sure you saw everybody out there working long hours to get that done,” Joe Farstad, senior project manager, said at Tuesday’s Basalt Town Council meeting. “That was a big celebration.”

Now, the contractors are finishing up the rest of the small tasks, like electrical infrastructure and conduits, and Rocky Mountain Custom Landscapes is planting dormant plants. Farstad expects most of them to survive the winter, but for those that do not, they will be replaced in the spring.

---

---

Brick pavers, planter boxes, planting areas, and plantings continue to be installed and are in place at several new areas. Additional preparatory work for bollards and fixtures continues as weather allows.

A holiday event called Doll-Up the Bollards will take place from 6-8 p.m. on Dec. 4 in Basalt, where community members can come together to knit pieces to decorate the town’s new bollards, or posts, along Midland Avenue.

Substantial project completion is still on track for the end of 2024; however, the team has experienced another delay in receiving the lighting package.

The projected delivery date is now mid-February 2025. The original streetlights have been selectively placed along Midland Avenue as a temporary solution until the new fixtures arrive.

“As a stop-gap measure, we reserved and placed six of the original streetlights to give some illumination for the holiday season,” Farstad said.

No budget adjustments or change orders have been presented or executed for the Midland Avenue project since change order No. 4, when the Basalt Town Council voted in September to allocate $651,466 in existing funds within the overall budget for the Midland Avenue Streetscape Project to finalize Phase II.

Phase II includes waterline and surface improvements, including asphalt paving and grading, concrete and rebar placement, electrical infrastructure work, retaining walls, brick pavers, and hardscapes. This phase runs from Midland Avenue’s intersection with East Homestead Drive, to the four-way intersection with Two Rivers Road.

In other news

In December 2023, a critical water valve broke during preparations for the shutdown of the municipal water system along Midland Avenue in Basalt. This failure was due to the aging infrastructure.

As a result of the break, Stutsman Gerbaz installed additional valves and routed a temporary water service from the Aspenalt Lodge to Jimbo’s Liquor. This temporary setup has been in place since late last year.

Due to the valve’s location, the repair will involve the installation of a new fire hydrant, over 50 feet of new waterline, the replacement of sidewalks, curbs, and gutters, as well as the repaving of a section of Two Rivers Road.

“It’s a rather complicated water system … so we’ll be simplifying some of the routing of the waterline itself … all to the benefit of the entire water system,” said Basalt Town Engineer Catherine Christoff.

Stutsman Gerbaz is familiar with the town’s water system along Two Rivers Road and its connection to Basalt Center Circle as a result of working on the Midland Avenue Streetscape Project, and are already working on the site.

Stutsman Gerbaz has provided the town with a bid of $129,915.03 to complete this work, which they plan to do in early 2025 as weather allows. Funds have already been identified in the 2025 budget for these water system repairs. The Basalt Town Council passed the resolution unanimously.

Regan Mertz can be reached at 970-429-9153 or rmertz@aspentimes.com.