After several years of planning, complications, and increasing costs, Bayfield Town Trustees have approved a contract to replace the two old green bridges on Bayfield Parkway.
Tuesday night they approved a bid from SEMA Construction, not to exceed $4.57 million.
Town Manager Chris La May reported the town got seven bids for the replacement. The high bid was $6.1 million. SEMA's low bid was $4.2 million plus an additional $365,730 applicable on all bids for contingencies.
The contract is contingent on agreement from the Colorado Department of Transportation because of $2.53 million in federal funding dispensed through CDOT for off-system bridge projects and TAP (Transportation Alternative Program) projects, for the multi-use path that's become part of the project.
The town's share of the SEMA contract is just over $2 million. But there are other costs for engineering, environmental/ sensitive species studies and mitigation.
Trustees also were asked to approve an additional $83,686 Tuesday to Bechtolt Engineering for project management, inspection and testing, bringing their total to $844,761 for the project.
Town Manager Chris La May said, "Now that we have a better understanding of the length of the project, Bechtolt has revised their task order to reflect more time on the job. We originally thought around 180 days. Now 220. We're still hoping for 180 days, but we'll be pushing it to get it in 220."
Trustees approved an initial contract with Bechtolt in February 2014, not to exceed $536,919 to engineer a bridge over the main channel and a series of concrete box culverts for the overflow (west) channel. In November 2014, trustees approved a change order for another $213,017 to design a bridge instead of the box culverts for the overflow channel to better handle possible flows in 100- and 500-year floods; also to add a shared use path.
Bechtolt subcontractors have done the environmental/sensitive species studies and mitigation plans. La May told the Times there will be a separate contract for two years of monitoring wetland replacement sites.
Public Works Director Ron Saba said the first work could start between mid-March and mid-April. Once it reaches the stage where the road has to be closed, that could last six to eight months, he said.
