By Mary Thurwachter
Although it’s making progress, Intercounty Engineering Inc., the firm hired to install water main pipes on Hypoluxo Island’s South Atlantic Drive, remains behind schedule and now has a projected Sept. 30 completion date. The contractor is being fined $500 a day by Mathews Consulting Inc., Lantana’s engineering firm.
“The contractor completed the installation of the water main and is installing fire hydrants,” Linda Brien, Lantana’s director of operations, said in mid-August.
The project, along the island’s main street, begins at East Ocean Boulevard and South Atlantic Drive heading south to Lands End Road, where it turns east to the end of Southeast Atlantic Drive.
The contractor at times has used double crews to catch up, Brien said. “The projected completion date is Sept. 30. The daily fines started on July 9.”
Lantana officials withheld payment to the contractor after it fell behind schedule and wasn’t doing a satisfactory job of cleanup after work each day, something residents said created a safety hazard.
Rebecca Travis of Mathews Consulting said about half of the million-dollar contract has yet to be paid.
The original scheduled completion date was July 3. However, “due to rain and unforeseen conditions, the town extended the completion date to July 23,” Brien said.
During a Town Council meeting in July, residents who live in the construction area expressed dismay with messy work and the lack of progress.
Mathews Consulting sent two notices of noncompliance to the contractor for the asphalt trench repair.
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