Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Aztec staff outlines $24M cost for East arterial; award expected in August, city pursues supplemental funding
Summary
City staff told the Planning & Zoning Commission that the low bid for the East Arterial project arrived above estimate (~$19M), producing a roughly $6–7M funding gap; staff said the city can use reserves to move forward while pursuing supplemental funds and plans to present the award for approval in mid‑August.
City planning staff provided a detailed update on the East Arterial project, telling commissioners that the lowest responsible bidder returned an amount higher than the city’s available budget and that a gap remains between the bid and the total cost once contingencies and mitigation items are included.
Staff said the low bid was ‘‘over $19,000,000’’ while the city had approximately $17.5 million budgeted. When added to contingency, GRT charges and a required landfill remediation inspection (noted at about $1.1 million), the total project estimate rose to roughly $24 million, leaving a funding shortfall of approximately $6–7 million. Staff said the city has been saving for the project and that commissioners and the city manager are prepared to show sufficient funding to proceed; a formal award to the low bidder is expected to come before the city commission at its Aug. 13 meeting.
Staff identified project roles and oversight: Jerrick will serve as the city’s on‑site project manager and Wilson & Company is expected to provide engineering and construction inspection services; outside legal counsel (Jermaine Chappelle) will manage contract documents. Staff said construction is expected to take roughly two years and that the city will pursue additional state and federal funding (staff reported an initial legislative commitment of $1–2 million) to reduce the city’s contribution.
Next steps: staff will prepare the bid award for the Aug. 13 city commission meeting, continue coordination with funding partners and provide updates to the commission during construction and at key procurement milestones.
