Crews tackle sidewalk safety
The city’s trial run with a less-invasive method for addressing sidewalk tripping hazards was completed Tuesday, and the city likes what it sees.
The Conway division of Precision Safe Sidewalks was contracted to cut down uneven sidewalk sections on Hobson, Ouachita and Quapaw avenues and Hawthorne, Hazel and Woodbine streets as part of a pilot project the company pitched to the city.
“They approached us and showed us the service they’re capable of,” Patrick Watson, senior
project inspector for the city, said, noting that the work will also extend sidewalk life. “This is the first time they’ve done any work for us, and so far we’re very pleased.”
Watson said the city contracted the company for about $7,000. He estimated removing the uneven pieces and replacing them with more concrete would cost about $20,000.
Austin Horn of Precision Safe Sidewalks, a subsidiary of Utah-based Precision Concrete Cutting, said the crews he oversees covered 4 miles of sidewalks in more than two days. The areas they fixed were selected based on the level of pedestrian traffic they support, Watson said.
Using a modified diamond-tipped blade powered by a small generator, the crews can cut away uneven sections that rise as high as 2 inches above the existing grade.
The Americans with Disabilities Act defines a trip hazard as any vertical change of more than one-quarter of an inch or more at any joint or crack.
While cutting out and repouring uneven sections of concrete can close a sidewalk for two days, Horn said the cutting method takes about 20 minutes.
“We can cover a larger footprint in a smaller amount of time,” he said. “It’s about 80 or 90 percent cheaper than other methods. Cities can focus budgets on areas that are a lot worse. It stretches the city’s dollar significantly.”
Horn said the cutting method is also more environmentally friendly than pouring more concrete, explaining that the energy-intensive production of concrete is a significant contributor to carbon dioxide emissions.
“We’re a very green company,” he said, adding that it recycles the uneven concrete it removes from sidewalks. “Producing concrete creates a lot of (carbon dioxide). It’s a major greenhouse-gas contributor.”