Rye Road project will take longer in Manatee County

Improvements to Rye Road are largely complete, but Manatee County commissioners have granted additional time for Gator Grading and Paving to finish them and complete a master lift station north of Gene Witt Elementary School.

Commissioners granted a 90-day extension for the project Aug. 25. Work began in October 2018. The board also granted a price adjustment of $25,534, bringing the cost of the project to $6.18 million.

One 90-day extension already had been granted. Initially, Gator had until March 27 to complete the work, which included widening the existing two-lane Rye Road to have 12-foot travel lanes, adding 6-foot-wide paved bicycle lanes in both directions and adding a 4-foot stabilized shoulder for safety in both directions. It also included building a master lift station north of Gene Witt Elementary School.

Ogden Clark, the strategic affairs manager for county Public Works, said the remaining work is largely electrical in nature and will connect control systems to the master lift station.

Clark said there has not been one specific cause for the delays but timing of the Rye Road project has been impacted by early staffing and equipment shortages, weather, COVID-19 shutdowns and a failed inspection of concrete that was poured around the master lift station.

“In the case of the failed inspection, the contractor was required to replace the concrete around the lift station, resulting in a period of interruption,” he said.

Gator Paving CEO Kevin Hicks said he expects to finish the lift station in October. Gator still must finish about 300 feet of road leading up to State Road 64 , however, Gator cannot complete that until the Florida Department of Transporation clears the area. It is constructing a roundabout there.