Midwest City approves $3 million sewer project
Midwest City Manager Tim Lyon speaks about a sewer project during a Dec. 10 city council meeting. Photo by Jeff Harrison
By Jeff Harrison
Midwest City Beacon
Midwest City leaders approved a $3.05 million contract for sewer improvements on the city’s west side.
Sooner Rose Sanitary Sewer Improvement Project will upsize and increase the capacity for the existing sewer lines that service the Sooner Rose commercial district, located near SE 15th St. and Sooner Rd.
The city council awarded the project to Cimmaron Construction during the Dec. 10 meeting. The project will cost $3,041,828 and take up to 270 days to complete. It included a base bid of $2,687,510 and bid alternate 2 for $364,318.
The project is being paid for with ARPA funds the city received.
City officials have scaled back the project due to cost. They originally put the project out for bid in October and received only one bid from Cimarron Construction, which was more than $1.6 million above the engineer’s estimate.
An engineering study determined four distinct pieces of that project that could be completed. The revised plan addresses the two most pressing issues.
“This addresses two of those issues,” said Carrie Evenson, assistant public works director. “We had originally bid on all four but the bids came in significantly over our estimate and we decided to rebid and add alternatives so we could see how much of this project we could get done.”
Cimarron Construction was again the only company to bid on the revised plan. Patrick Menefee, city engineer, said Cimarron has worked on many private and public projects in the city and has a “proven track record of professionalism.”
Evenson said the work will address sagging in the lines that reduce flow as well as capacity issues.
The project area is between Hudiburg Dr. (east), Sooner Rd. (west), SE 15th St. (north) and I-40 (south). The sewer system flows to the north and impacts the Sooner Rose shopping center.
Ward 1 councilmember Susan Eads asked if the issues were known before development of the Sooner Rose shopping center.
Public Works Director Paul Streets said they were aware of issues internally, but those were not addressed as part of the development. He said they were later able to communicate those needs and contract to study the issues.
City Manager Tim Lyon said plans for an apartment complex, which has since been shelved, further emphasized the need to address sewer issues in the area.
