CAROLINA BEACH – The contract for the Boardwalk Northern Extension Project in Carolina Beach has been awarded to Civil Works Contracting for $715,720.
The Wilmington-based company had the lowest bid out of the four companies that submitted proposals.
According to Jerry Haire, from the town’s planning and zoning department, Civil Works Contracting previously did the work on the first part of the wooden boardwalk, which currently ends at the Harper Avenue access.
The project, which would extend the boardwalk from its current end at the Hampton Inn (which built its own portion and will be reimbursed by the town) just north of Harper Avenue to Pelican Avenue, is expected to take about two months to build this fall. The agreement is currently non-binding until a written contract is finalized.
No project manager has been hired by the town, which is causing concern among some Carolina Beach elected officials. Town manager Michael Cramer said that decision was made to save money and that the role would be filled jointly by him, Haire and Gil DuBois, the town’s public director of operations. Because concerns were raised that the three men already had many projects on their plates, Cramer said he would look into other alternative options.
The northern extension boardwalk project, which was approved by the state last year amid controversy, was originally slated to be built last spring. Construction got pushed back to the fall when it became clear that the project could not be finished in time for the summer tourist season, and town officials did not want construction to bother visitors during their vacations.
The current boardwalk area, which includes the wooden walkway, as well as the concrete area with retail, restaurants and bars, was named the third best boardwalk in the country this year in a readers’ poll.
