Somerton street, sidewalk projects on tap

SOMERTON — An area in need of improvement will get a bit of a facelift in the coming months, with a project that will start in a few weeks.

In a recent decision by the Somerton City Council, DPE Construction of Yuma, will be hired for the $511,036.90 improvement project, which includes replacing the pavement and building sidewalks along George Street, Somerton Avenue, Columbia Avenue and Musgrove Avenue.

Samuel Palacios, director of Public Works, said that this is the second phase of reconstruction of George Street, but the first phase, to the west, is yet to be completed.

In addition to the repavement and the construction of sidewalks, the drainage lines will be renovated and a parking area will be created in the location assigned to the future Parque Centenario, at the corner of George Street and Somerton Avenue.

Palacios anticipated that the work will begin in the first week of September, to conclude in the month of November.

The resources for the project come from various funds, with $ 446,095.90 from street-improvement bonds issued in 2015, with resources from the general contingency fund and $27,735 from the sewer contingency fund.

Palacios said that with this investment, there will be a remaining $348,000 in the street improvement fund created two years ago. These resources, he said, will go to improvements in Musgrove, Hill and Williams avenues between Cano and Crane streets.