SEQUIM — Sequim city staff members expect pavement preservation projects to begin in the eastern portions of town to repair damaged roadways in October.

“There’s a lot of depression from utility trenches that are settling,” said David Garlington, Sequim public works director at a Sept. 9 City Council meeting.

As part of the project, Nordland Construction is set to place about 550 tons of hot mix asphalt on portions of:

• Blue Glacier Loop.

• East Hendrickson Road.

• Lillian Ridge Drive/Court.

• Oak Tree Ridge Street.

• Oak View Place.

• Oak Wood Drive.

They’ll also repair a portion of Maple Street between Sixth and Seventh avenue damaged after a water line broke earlier this month.

City Engineer Matt Klontz said construction will tentatively begin sometime in October and last from two to three weeks.

Garlington said Nordland offered the lowest of three bids and less than the city engineer’s estimate of about $482,000.

Sequim City Council members unanimously approved a $413,000 contract plus a 15 percent contingency worth about $61,950 with Nordland on Sept. 9. Council member Jennifer States was absent for the vote.

Traditionally, funding for pavement preservation comes from the Transportation Benefit District’s dedicated fund, but Garlington said this year’s funds come from water and sewer reserve funds since the depressions were caused by failures in the city’s utility system.

Garlington asked council members for a 15 percent contingency instead of a typical 10 percent because city staff estimates the water line break road repairs on Maple Street will cost about 5 percent of the total contract with Nordland.

Council member Ted Miller asked if similar problems might occur along the street.

“When excavated, the (pvc) pipe was split for one 20 foot (section) almost its entire length, but the rest of it looked to be in good shape,” Garlington said.

“We discovered there was no pipe bedding when backfilled … and that was stressed over time with cars going over it.”

Garlington said the same process is likely replicated along the street, but he’s optimistic with the rest of the pipe being in good shape and lasting as long as it has.

But “whether it could happen in other places in town, the unfortunate answer is yes,” he said.

“Until we open something up we won’t know.”

City staff plan to install an extra valve for the new piping if something similar happens down the line, too.

On a side note: Garlington said in city staff’s research hasn’t found if this portion of Maple Street was ever dedicated to the city.

“In the off chance it was in fact dedicated to the city, we just haven’t found it yet,” said City Attorney Kristina Nelson-Gross.

Regardless, she and Garlington said the city has an obligation to repair the roadway since it was utility piping that broke and damaged the road.

City staff said they plan to continue looking into the ownership of the small stretch of road.

For more information on road projects, call 360-683-4908.

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Matthew Nash is a reporter with the Olympic Peninsula News Group, which is composed of Sound Publishing newspapers Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum. Reach him at mnash@sequimgazette.com.