Students should have safer route on busy Fremont

It may not be completed before school starts next month, but a new safe route for Colusa students should be well under way.

The long-awaited bike path on Fremont Street is set to begin in August, as well as other enhancements to make sidewalks more accessible to disabled people, city officials said.

The street improvements serve students at both the primary and middle schools, as well as the Community Center for Performing Arts.

The Colusa City Council plans to spend about $556,000 on the projects, paid for by three federal programs, city officials said Tuesday.

In addition to Federal Safe Routes to School funding, the city has been waiting on stimulus money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act since March 2009.

"It's been a nightmarish process," said City Manager Jan McClintock, referring to the hoops and hurdles the city has had to jump for the money.

The project includes a new striped bike lane and signage along Fremont Street, from Bridge Street to 10th Street.

The work will be completed by Chrisp Co. of Woodland for about $44,000.

Also on Tuesday, the City Council authorized McClintock to contract with a Vacaville construction company for the installation of new sidewalks and handicapped accessible ramps on Seventh, Fifth and Third streets, where none currently exist.

Lister Construction provided the lowest bid at $465,033, as the city continues to receive favorable construction bids as a result of current market conditions, according to city engineer Nicholas Ponticello, in a staff report.

The engineer's estimate for the project was $515,000, Ponticello said.

Because of the favorable bid, additional locations such as the south side of Fourth Street and Fremont may be reinstated and constructed to tie-in with the proposed improvements along the north side, city officials said.

The city has about $556,000 in federal funding available, McClintock said.

The council hopes to have the project completed in early fall, before the rainy season.

Contact Susan Meeker at 458-2121 or smeeker@tcnpress.com.