The latest phase in the reconstruction

on Central Avenue finished ahead of schedule and repair of another

section is expected to begin this month.

Schellinger Construction finished its

work on the 100 block, the second to last phase of the Whitefish

Downtown Infrastructure Improvements Project, late in May. Later

this month Sandry Construction will repave the street along the 200

block.

Whitefish City Manager Chuck Stearns

said Sandry is expected to begin work Sunday, June 19 and finish up

Wednesday, June 22. Construction will likely take place night and

day.

Stearns said that the oil content of

the asphalt mixture exceeded the city’s specifications. The result

was slumping and depressions in the parking areas of the

street.

“You can see puddles of water or little

depressions on the street,” he said. “It’s the beginning of pot

holes.”

The repairs will be done on warranty at

no cost to the city, Stearns noted.

Schellinger wrapped up its work on the

100 block May 27.

“That went very well,” Stearns

said.

Stearns did report that the striping

sub-contractor applied the parking space striping at the wrong

angle on the west side of Central. It will be restriped at the

contractor’s cost when weather permits.

Schellinger finished ahead of scheduled

and is expected to get a bonus for its work. The contractor is

expected to get the maximum bonus of $40,000 for completing the

work early.

The final phase along the 000 block of

Central Avenue between Railway and First streets is scheduled for

this fall. Work is set to begin Tuesday, Sept. 6.

The Central Avenue work is part of

downtown improvement projects that began in 2009.

Also in the downtown area, work on

Second Street between Spokane and Baker Avenues is expected to

begin. Crews will perform utility and water work in the area. The

work could have an impact on traffic, Stearns noted.

The Second Street work is being funded

by a TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery)

grant funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and is

separate from the Central Avenue project.