Hoover council approves $2.9 million for paving streets, school properties this fall

The Hoover City Council this week approved nearly $2.6 million worth of street paving to be done this fall, plus another $260,000 worth of paving projects for Hoover City Schools.

Dunn Construction Co. won the bid to pave all or portions of 38 streets, which collectively cover 9.7 miles of roadway.

The work is expected to begin around mid-September and, if weather cooperates, should be completed by Thanksgiving, Assistant City Engineer Chris Reeves said. However, if weather becomes a problem and it gets too cold, the work may have to be suspended at some point and started again in the spring, Reeves said.

Roads slated to be completely paved include Al Seier Road, Camelot Circle, Chapel Hill Court, Fox Hollow Circle, Fox Hollow Lane, Galleria Woods Drive, Guinevere Circle, Hayesmont Road, Kestwick Circle, Lake Circle, Lantana Drive, Loch Haven Drive, Peachwood Circle North, Red Oak Place, Riverchase Drive, Russet Woods Drive, South Trace Circle, South Trace Lane, Tamassee Lane, Tequesta Lane, Top O Tree Lane, Trace Ridge Lane, Trace Ridge Circle, Trace Ridge Road, Whisperwood Circle, Whisperwood Drive and Woodmeadow Road.

Roads to be partially paved include Alford Avenue, Cahaba River Estates Drive Deerwood Road (intersections only), Kestwick Drive and Sulphur Springs Road. Roads to be patched include Cypress Trace, Deo Dara Drive, Greystone Cove Drive, Southlake Parkway and Warringwood Drive.

Dunn Construction also will repave areas at Hoover City Schools’ Farr Administration Building and seven schools — Berry Middle, Bluff Park Elementary, Deer Valley Elementary, Green Valley Elementary, Rocky Ridge Elementary, Simmons Middle and Trace Crossings Elementary.

The Hoover Board of Education will reimburse the city for the paving work done for the school system, said Tim Westhoven, the chief operations officer for the city. The two projects were bid as a package in an effort to save money.

The city’s portion of repaving will be paid out of money received from gasoline taxes, city Purchasing Director Ben Powell said.

Dunn Construction Co. was not actually the low bidder on the project. Wiregrass Construction bid $2,539,849 for the city portion of the work and $231,805 for the school system’s portion, compared to Dunn Construction’s bid of $2,577,862 for the city’s work and $259,998 for the school system’s work.

However, Powell said the city had issues with Wiregrass Construction on a recent contract to make turn lane improvements at the intersection of Galleria Boulevard, Chapel Lane and Jim Wilson Jr. Parkway. So, Wiregrass Construction was deemed a “non-responsible bidder,” and the city chose Dunn Construction instead.

A third company, Mid South Paving, bid $2,736,294 for the city’s work and $232,432 for the school system work.