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Freeport updates Hancock wastewater plant and Hancock Viaduct bridge timelines; contractor payments reported
Summary
City staff reported the Hancock Wastewater Treatment Plant is about 43% complete and that the Hancock Viaduct/bridge design is in final federal review; land acquisition and utility relocations are outstanding issues that affect a summer 2026 bidding target.
City staff updated the Committee of the Whole on progress at the Hancock Wastewater Treatment Plant and on the Hancock Viaduct/bridge project, providing completion estimates and identifying utility relocation and land-acquisition issues as primary hurdles.
“We're about 43% so far,” a city staff member identified as Brevard said about the wastewater plant, adding that approximately $23 million to $23.5 million has been paid to the contractor IHC. He outlined a construction timeline: ultraviolet building completion in late fall 2025 to be ready for spring start-up; demolition of the chlorine system after start-up; chemically enhanced primary treatment estimated for summer 2026; headworks and lab building completion anticipated in early 2027; and overall tracking for final completion in summer 2027.
On the Hancock bridge and viaduct, staff said design is in final review with the Federal Highway Administration, and the FHWA is requiring the city to investigate historical handrails as part of environmental sign-off. The project is targeting a bid letting in summer 2026 with an anticipated nine-month construction period after construction start; staff said the city is working to resolve temporary and permanent easement (land acquisition) issues and that NICOR gas-main relocation under the viaduct is a current schedule holdup because a permit/design to move the main has been pending roughly six months.
Why it matters: the wastewater plant and bridge projects involve major capital costs, extended construction schedules and significant impacts on neighborhoods and traffic during construction. Staff said the treatment plant has continued to operate during construction and that contractors are meeting coordination schedules, but contaminated soils encountered early in the project required remediation and disposal to a landfill.
Practical notes: staff said bidding and contract procedures usually add a month to six weeks between bid award and start of construction; contractors are sometimes granted extra time for weather or unforeseen conditions. Staff also said the city will sequence work so Hancock Ridge and Hancock Viaduct work will not proceed simultaneously to preserve emergency and resident access.
Next steps: staff will continue coordination with FHWA, resolve land-acquisition matters, and work with NICOR and contractors to finalize permits and schedules; the city is targeting bid letting for the bridge in summer 2026 and final wastewater plant completion in summer 2027.
