Board approves advertising for bids on Lloyd Expressway force-main relocation (Project U1209)

The Evansville Water and Sewer Utility Board voted April 1, 2025, to advertise for public bids on Project U1209, a planned relocation of approximately 900 linear feet of 12-inch force main to avoid a conflict with the Lloyd Expressway project.

Mitch Ferguson, an Evansville Water and Sewer Utility staff member, told the board the relocation runs from Kimber Lane to Burkhart Road and moves the force main north to a newly acquired easement. He presented an in-house design and an estimated construction cost of $602,549, and said roughly 94% of that cost is expected to be reimbursable through an agreement with the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) that the board approved on Oct. 31, 2023.

Ferguson recommended advertising the project in the local newspaper on consecutive Fridays, April 4 and April 11, 2025, with bid openings to be scheduled for the April 29 board meeting. He confirmed the project will retain a 12-inch main in the primary alignment; a small lateral segment will be downsized to 8 inches where the existing force main discharges to gravity. That downsized segment and a related annular fill are described in the presentation as a "betterment" for the utility and are not covered by reimbursement from INDOT.

The board approved a motion to advertise the public bids by voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded in the transcript.

The action advances the schedule for construction procurement; final contractor selection and award would occur after bid opening and subsequent board action.