GILLETTE, Wyo. — Hladky Construction will head up a $2.2 million second phase of an irrigation central control improvement project following a Nov. 19 decision by the Gillette City Council.
Per the city of Gillette, the project is the product of a five-year demonstration and trial effort of improved irrigation control products by the City Parks Division. The effort reportedly revealed the need to make substantial improvements to the command and control systems and field equipment used to irrigate city parks and rights of way.
According to the city, the existing management system — the Toro Sentinel Water Management System — has grown outdated and is difficult to maintain. It is no longer able to meet the needs of the parks division.
The improvements should allow for more frequent adjustments of the irrigation systems while allowing for a high level of monitoring to identify leaks and pipeline breaks. The improvement should enable the system manager to direct scare maintenance personnel to the sites requiring attention on a real-time basis.
Construction is slotted to begin this fall and continue through the winter months. Construction efforts will likely continue through 2025 and the next year, with a completion date in June 2026.
Hladky Construction was one of two companies to submit a bid for the project and was the low bidder. The company’s $2.2 million bid came in nearly a million dollars less than the engineering estimate of $3.3 million due to a variety of reasons including reduced material costs, parts selection and a greater economy of scale compared to the previous phase, the city says.
The project is fully funded by the Optional 1% Sales Tax.
