He said the decision was made due to “cracking that can be seen from the surface and the strength tests that did not meet specifications.”
The original contractor, Nanaimo-based Windley Contracting, is handling the work at its own expense, Stewart confirmed.
He added the area’s red stamped concrete, which resembles brick to differentiate between the road and roadside amenities, is also being replaced.
No vehicular traffic will be permitted 24 hours a day in any direction to or from the southern entrance to Beban Park during construction work, representing an inconvenience to motorists accessing and leaving the high-usage complex.
Stewart said with any large project, quality control tests are done as work is ongoing and tasks are completed.
In this case, Stewart said failed quality control tests raised concerns, which were verified last fall.
“We had some results that showed there was a problem here and that was followed up by some further testing just to be absolutely sure,” Stewart told NanaimoNewsNOW.
Material engineers working on the project recommended replacement, Stewart said.
Favourable weather, including ideal temperatures, led to the project advancing at this time, with Stewart noting the redone roundabout requires time to be properly set and roadworthy for vehicles.
“The reason for these aprons is for larger vehicles to be able to navigate the roundabout, so you get a lot more heavy traffic on these, so we just want to make absolutely sure that these concrete pads are there for us for a long time.”
Stewart said the City intervened when less serious quality control issues were spotted at the nearby larger Powder Works Rd. roundabout, but said those issues were resolved.
The City doesn’t anticipate any further quality control issues pertaining to the completed Midtown Gateway project.
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