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Council approves award for 4 Mile Drive path after bids exceed engineer estimate; city to cover ~$46,000 local share
Summary
Council authorized awarding the 4 Mile Drive Path project to Stroud's Contracting for $1,054,906, contingent on Montana DOT approval and additional TA grant funding; staff said the city would provide roughly $46,000 in local match from cash-in-lieu and general contingency funds.
The Kalispell City Council authorized awarding the 4 Mile Drive Path transportation alternatives project to Stroud's Contracting for a base bid of $1,054,906, subject to preliminary approval by the Montana Department of Transportation.
The project will add curb and gutter, a multi-use path and a landscaped boulevard between Foxglove Drive and Champion Way to connect existing paths at KidSport’s facility with the 4 Mile Drive multiuse path. Bids opened April 24 came in significantly higher than the original engineer’s estimate because a cast-in-place concrete retaining wall and handrail were required by MDT design standards rather than the originally estimated block-retaining walls.
Staff recommended revising the engineer’s estimate and seeking MDT approval to cover the higher costs. Project consultants amended the engineer’s estimate to $932,091.75, bringing the award within the TA program’s allowable overage; MDT preliminarily indicated additional TA funds could be available to accommodate increased costs. City staff reported the city would need to allocate approximately $46,000 of local match, and recommended using a mix of parks cash-in-lieu funds and a general government contingency line item to cover the shortfall.
Deputy Public Works Director Keith Haskins said staff would pursue cost savings, including removing concrete stamping and evaluating lighter-gauge handrails where permitted by MDT. Councilors supported the project on safety grounds and authorized the award contingent on MDT approval and grant funding. The motion authorized award contingent on MDT approval and availability of Transportation Alternatives grant funding for 86.58% of total cost.
