SD&G roundabout engineering will be re-tendered

This diagram shows the plans for a roundabout in Long Sault, Ont. at the intersection of Moulinette Road and County Road 2. (Photo/BT Engineering)

SD&G – The United Counties will be asking engineering companies for proposals again to build roundabouts in South Stormont and South Dundas.

The original proposal was for the single roundabout in Long Sault at Moulinette Road. But when the companies were asked about adding in a second roundabout, given the recent development of condos at the harbour, the cost jumped 10-30 per cent.

Roads Engineer Ben de Haan told council Monday their best plan was to re-package the proposal to not only include the second roundabout in Long Sault but the intersection of County Roads 2 and 1 in Iroquois as well.

There was also an issue with the scoring system as the existing points system only attributed 15 of 100 points to cost.

In the original RFP (Request for Proposal), the best bid meeting qualifications, work plan and other criteria (the 85 points) was a bid that was almost two-and-a-half times the lowest bid.

The scoring will be amended to attribute 30 points to cost going forward.

Even with the changes, county staff are anticipating the design work is going to be over budget. The county plans to use $20,000 in a railway crossing assessment reserve to cover the overrun.

The county had also budgeted $71,000 this year for an engineering study for the South Dundas roundabout.

This is just for design work – actual construction of the roundabouts won’t happen until 2017.