2022 to 2023 Gates Street (Hill) & Fairview Terrace Roadway & Retaining Walls Engineering

Important Update 

Dubois & King along with their subconsultant Geodesign have worked through available slope stabilization options including reinforced soil slopes, precast concrete block crest and toe walls with reinforced stone slopes, steel sheet piling crest and toe walls with reinforced stone slopes, and reinforced stone slopes. From these efforts the most viable options were moved forward for a more intensive analysis and cost estimating. Viability was determined by constructability, ability to maintain access along Fairview Terrace, and impacts to private property and public parking at the Bugbee Senior Center.     

The results of these initial but extensive efforts are represented by a cover letter, an analysis and cost summary, illustrative conceptual cross sections prepared by the town at critical points impacted by wall construction, a site plan demonstrating the limits of impacts to downslope properties including required easements, cross sections utilized to determine an opinion of cost, and the opinion of probable cost worksheets that will be discussed at the August 22 Selectboard meeting. 

 Details can be reviewed in the Gate Street Wall Alternative Cost Analysis (PDF) 

Recent Project History

The Department of Public Works released an RFP for civil, electrical, geotechnical, structural, and transportation engineering services related to the reconstruction and stabilization of the roadway and retaining walls along Gates Street from Maplewood Terrace to Fairview Terrace on February 28, 2022.

This RFP (PDF) was developed utilizing input from the Selectboard's previous engineering study (PDF), design and engineering efforts to move the existing water main out of the path of improvements (PDF). See the resulting conceptual layout (PDF) from which engineers competitively bid on the project.

Following a lengthy review including reference checks, the securing of funds and Selectboard approval, a contract was entered into with Dubois and King of Randolph, Vermont on December 5th, 2022 and work scheduled. Through the winter conditions, the engineers completed survey tasks, soil borings, and other preliminary efforts with follow-up soil borings in April. Review the preliminary release of the boundary plat of potentially affected parcels (PDF), the locations of soil borings (PDF), and the results of the February borings (PDF).

On June 7, 2023, the town received a magnitude of cost for stabilization methods determined to be the most viable options available, this cost summary (PDF) is for stabilization work only and does not include other utility and surface improvements. 

On June 8, 2023, the town requested and received a plan (PDF) indicating the approximate downslope limits of improvements and required work zones to facilitate the town's review.