Project Team
Owner: City of Cape Coral
Location: Cape Coral, Fla.
Cost: $39.8 million
Contractor: MWH Constructors, Cape Coral

This $44 million project is part of the city of Cape Coral's five-year, $200 million utility expansion program. The South West Area 3 project included the design of water, wastewater and irrigation pressure mains, as well as gravity sewer systems and community sewer pumping stations.

During the 10-month design phase, the contractor team produced more than 750 drawings for approximately 280,000 ft. of sewer gravity pipe, 100,000 ft. of sewer force main, 150,000 ft. of water transmission and distribution pipeline, 140,000 ft. of irrigation water mains and seven sewer pumping stations. MWH Constructors reported installation of more than 420 mi. of pipe.

The project team also rebuilt an estimated 120 mi. of road in Cape Coral because significant road building and residential lawn and driveway restoration accompanied the utility work.

Notably, the project is part of an overall design-build program - not just a single design-build project. For that reason, MWH worked with city officials to develop new sources of financing, working with the community and successfully coordinating a number of subcontractors.

Additionally, MWH coordinated a direct-material purchase program, enabling the city to save the 6 percent tax on nearly $4 million of major pipe, pumps and precast concrete purchases. The final project cost was roughly $39.8 million, representing a roughly 10 percent savings over the original GMP.

The contractor reported the change-order rate for this complex project as less than 0.5 percent.

Subsequent to the completion of this project, the city of Cape Coral contracted with MWH to complete the $43 million South West Area 2 project, which is scheduled for completion in 2005.