PORT ANGELES — Key parties in the design and construction of The Gateway transit center will study cracking in a foundation wall this week to determine how long the multimillion-dollar project remains on hold.

The financial implications of recent delays in construction of The Gateway are yet to be known, said Glenn Cutler, Port Angeles city public works director.

Completion of the project is on hold while engineers determine if cracking in the eastern foundation wall of the pavilion means that the structure, which is the roof of a parking garage, can’t support a planned second pour of concrete.

Cutler said on Friday that he is “cautiously optimistic” that the project will be completed in early- to mid-December.

The project, which began in June 2007, was expected to be completed this month. Its initial completion date was early September.

Cutler said the project at this time remains within its $14.7 million budget, which includes a contingency fund for cost overruns.

The Gateway is a joint project between the city of Port Angeles and Clallam Transit, which has $8.16 million in state and federal grant funding.

Design features

It includes a bus stop, parking garage, a pavilion, a four-faced clock tower, a break room for bus drivers, an office for downtown police officers and rest rooms.

The Gateway is located between Front and First streets and Lincoln and Laurel streets in downtown Port Angeles.

At their monthly meeting Thursday, representatives from the city of Port Angeles, Clallam Transit, Krei Architecture and Primo Construction are expected to determine if the cracking represents a structural problem.

Cutler said he will have a better idea of how this delay will affect the cost of the project after next week.

“I don’t know what, if anything, will be the financial impacts on the project,” he said.

“I don’t want to speculate either.”

Cutler said Krei, which is responsible for the design of The Gateway, has told the city that the cracking will not be a problem, but the city is using its own staff and engineering consultants to confirm it.

“They indicated to us that it is acceptable, and we can continue to work,” he said.

“But we don’t just accept that as, it’s OK. We are doing our due diligence to verify. It’s almost like a peer review.”

Cutler said the city consults with the engineering firm Zenovic and Associates in Port Angeles on these issues.

If a structural problem is discovered, Cutler said he couldn’t estimate how long the project would take to complete.

Process

The cracking occurred as a result of a technique known as “post tensioning” that is used in the horizontal concrete beam that supports the pavilion over parking spaces underneath, he said.

Steel wires within the concrete are pulled taunt, which gives the structure more support.

Cutler said this allows the structure to span a larger area and support more weight.

“Cracking is not unusual in this case,” he said.

Cutler said that about everything has been completed, except for the second pour of concrete on the pavilion floor.

The last pour will provide a slope for water drainage and a pattern for the pavilion floor.

Cutler said that poor weather shouldn’t delay pouring the concrete, as long as it doesn’t rain too hard.

In August, the City Council approved paying Krei an additional $90,960 for continuing its design and architectural review services during the delays.

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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.