Cement concrete curbs will be added in March to the Apache Trail median from Ironwood Drive to Ocotillo Drive under a $380,000 contract approved by the Apache Junction City Council.
The council voted unanimously Feb. 7 to approve a contract with Viasun Corp. for the construction of curbing for $345,520.75 plus a 10% contingency for unforeseen change orders in the amount of $34,552.07, for a total project cost not to exceed $380,072.82. This work is allocated in the current fiscal year Highway User Revenue Fund budget.
The work, which includes curbs and drainage scuppers, is to be done in the middle of March. It is the fourth of five phases to add curbing to 2 miles of Apache Trail from Meridian to Idaho Road, Public Works Manager Shane Kiesow said at the meeting.
“Over the last few years you’ve probably seen a real change with our medians on the Apache Trail. So this is just a part of that project,” he said. “The median curbing project mainly is to help facilitate drainage.”
Erosion of dirt into the drainage system and safety are some reasons why curbing is needed, he said.
“(A) big part of this project too is the safety — pavement edge drop-offs, specifically — and that’s related to erosion that oftentimes occurs in those medians where you have a large drop-off on the edge of the pavement (with) vehicles. So the curb is to mitigate that threat,” Kiesow said.
The work lasting about two weeks is to occur during the daytime hours only with limited impacts to vehicular traffic lanes. No impacts are expected to adjacent business accesses, Kiesow said in a written staff report.
Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on Twitter @rhdyer. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.
Richard Dyer Managing Editor | East Valley @RHDyer
Meet Richard Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.
Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions.
Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.
Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.
Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.
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