MARBLEHEAD — The Village 13 substation project has started its bidding process.
At the Municipal Light Board (MLB) meeting on Tuesday, board members went over recent updates. Their major update involved the civil engineering bidding process, which is the first of the three large bids that are expected to take place for the project. Bidding will finalize on Dec. 11, 2024.
The civil engineers are going to be involved with installing the switchgear, which includes all the rods, breakers, and connectors connecting the transformers to both upstream and downstream lines. Civil engineers will be doing the concrete foundations and all connectors and components involved with installing the switchgear.
The contract for the civil engineers is a large part of the project, but relatively speaking, it is the smallest of the three different bids.
At the meeting, the Village 13 project was estimated to be a $1.5 million project, with the switchgear itself costing about $1.1 million. Board members also discussed obtaining grants, which would assist in costs.
According to MLB Secretary Jean-Jacques Yarmoff, the transformers were delivered on June 27, 2024, and the switchgear is currently being built.
One of the main issues discussed at the last open meeting was the switchgear being delivered before the base was built. Yarmoff expressed the need again when providing updates.
Yarmoff concluded by stating, “2022 bidding, finalization of installation in 2025, it is a long process.”
While this project has been pushed back due to shipment issues, the MLB is working as diligently as possible to have this project completed no later than the 2025 deadline.
