Workers Alexander Gutierrez, 18, Naun Hernandez, 22, and Jose Maldonado, 27, dig up the U.S. 41 median in preparation for irrigation pipes to be installed. Workers will eventually grow trees as part of the irrigation and landscaping project spearheaded by the city of Bonita Springs.
Drivers on U.S. 41 are again seeing work crews digging up and placing pink pipes in the ground as part of an ongoing landscaping project near the intersection at Old 41 in Bonita Springs.
But they won’t be there for long.
The work, spearheaded by Bonita Springs, is part of a U.S. 41 median landscaping and irrigation project that has seen its share of problems.
“This is a continuation of the work we had started already,” said Rod Matterson, the engineering technician for Bonita Springs. “We started and then got delayed.”
James Melton, the city’s senior project manager on the project, attributes the delays to contractor Astaldi Construction Co.’s expansion of U.S. 41 for the last three years.
“My guys will be out there ... north of Old 41 ... until we get going on the other project on the south end,” Melton said. “The state owns U.S. 41 and until they accept
everything Astaldi is doing, I can’t get my guys back in to finish.”
Workers have completed all work from the Collier County line to just north of Bonita Beach Road, said Melton, who hopes Astaldi finishes soon.
“What you are seeing out there is them doing what little they can to get ahead while we wait,” Melton said.
Getting ahead hasn’t been easy because workers can’t install irrigation and eventually landscaping until water is available on the north side of U.S. 41.
“Eventually the plan is to finish with these pipes, put in pavers and grow some plants,” Matterson said. “We are doing what we can for now.”
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