SIMI VALLEY : Contract OKd for Sound Wall Repairs

The Simi Valley City Council awarded a half-million-dollar contract to a Northridge company Monday night for the repair of earthquake-damaged sound walls along 21 city streets.

The council voted unanimously to award T. D. Engineering & Construction Inc. the $531,000 contract to rebuild, restore and stabilize thousands of feet of block walls damaged in last year’s Northridge earthquake. The walls were erected to shield homes from street noise.

On top of the contract, the council set aside about $120,000 that could be paid to the company for construction cost overruns, survey work and geotechnical testing.

Ninety percent of the funding comes from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and 10% is from the state’s Natural Disaster Assistance Act.

The company’s bid was the lowest of seven and half what city officials expected to pay for the repairs. When the city decided to solicit bids in January, council members estimated repair costs at about $1.25 million.

This is the second major contract to repair quake damage on city streets. In October, the council approved $1.31 million to repair 173 streets. That work is expected to be completed by April.