Late again, Astaldi sets July deadline for U.S. 41

Bonita Springs Mayor Jay Arend may be no Nostradamus, but he knew before anyone else that Astaldi Construction’s U.S. 41 project wouldn’t be done until July. Months ago, with the road widening project missing deadlines in December, then April and now mid-June, Arend prognosticated a July finish.

If Astaldi makes the self-named completion date it gave state transportation officials Thursday, he’ll be right.

Company officials told the state the project won’t be finished with the Bonita Springs project until the middle or end of July, and there are no plans to open the road to six lanes of traffic before completion.

“When we heard that we let the contractor know we were, well, extremely unhappy,” said Florida Department of Transportation spokeswoman Debbie Tower.

Until Thursday, FDOT officials had been hoping Astaldi would meet its most recent prediction that six lanes would be open by June 13, even if other work on the project might take longer.

The project began in September 2003 and was supposed to be finished by the end of 2005.

Tower said FDOT officials want to see six lanes open as soon as possible and will be discussing options. The state already paid more than $1 million in bonuses to try to get the project back on schedule. Another month will cost Astaldi more than $180,000 in penalties.

“I guess I was closer than anybody,” Arend said when he heard the new schedule. “I certainly hope they’re not thinking about giving them more money.”

Tower says they’re not.

“The community deserves to see this project wrap up,” she said. “The department expects to see it wrap up. Internally, we’re discussing what our next step will be. Certainly we won’t be paying the contractor. We don’t intend to pay Astaldi.”

Despite its troubles on U.S. 41, Astaldi has been hired by Collier County to widen Immokalee Road between Collier Boulevard and Interstate 75. Collier Commissioner Tom Henning said it does give him cause for concern to see Astaldi miss yet another deadline on the U.S. 41 project but said he’s been told by company officials that won’t happen on Immokalee Road.

“We’ve been assured there’ll be different management from Astaldi,” he said. “It’s not the same management that did 41.”

Henning said he voiced his concerns to county transportation officials before Astaldi was selected.

“They assured us we have enough controls in there to make sure Astaldi gets done,” he said.

Tower said the state will continue to charge liquidated damages. The state also grades contractor performance at job completion, and that grade can affect a company’s ability to bond work or bid on state jobs.

Arend said that he hopes for Collier motorists’ sake that Henning is correct that Astaldi can finish the Immokalee Road project on time.

“If he’s right, then maybe we better take a page out of their book,” he said. “Nobody up here seems to be able to motivate them.”

Henning said the Collier project is a straightforward one, with no right of way requirements and no utility work. He hopes that will help get it done on time.

“It should be a simple process,” he said.