FARGO (KFGO-AM) Fargo City Commissioner Dave Piepkorn, upset over lengthy delays in completing construction of 19th Avenue North, plans to ask the city to revise its policies dealing with contractors on projects like this.
The $5 million project was supposed to have wrapped up September 12th but is not yet been finished. Piepkorn says a three block section of the project took six months to complete and caused financial losses for many businesses. After criticizing the delay at a city commission meeting several weeks ago, a retailer told him access problems cost him $400,000 in lost business.
Piepkorn says he wants specific contract language that will require contractors to work "24-7" to finish any road project along a business cooridor. The proposal will be up for discussion on the City Commission agenda next Monday.
Master Construction, the prime contractor on 19th Avenue, is asking the city for an extension and negotiating on some late penalities that it faces for not finishing on time.