Mesa to spend $13.4M on upgrading sewer lines

The Mesa City Council voted unanimously to approve a contract for a project to install a relief sewer on McKellips Road at its Feb. 3 meeting.

According to council documents, the project will install a relief sewer on McKellips between Gilbert Road and Stapley Drive and on Stapley between McKellips and Brown Road. The contract is valued at $13.4 million with an additional $1.34 million as a 10% contingency as change order allowance.

Council documents say the existing sewer pipes in the area, originally installed in the 1970s and 1980s, are outdated and need to be replaced. The city needs additional capacity, the council document stated.

The reconstruction of the Gilbert Road intersection caused by a 2025 water main break is included in the scope of the project. Work includes new pavement, sidewalk, curb and gutter and other incidental work, according to documents.

Construction for the project is projected to last no more than 16 months. Staff recommended the contract be awarded to B&F Contracting Inc. The contract will be funded by Utility Systems Revenue Obligations.

“It is projected to be a 16-month project. That’s based on what we know today,” City Engineer Beth Huning said during a Jan. 30 council study session. “This is a mature street and there are a lot of utilities underground. Every time we open a trench we find something we didn’t know about. So we work to get barricades in an out and minimize disruption at the intersection.”