The Augusta City Council voted Dec. 15 to approve a three-party agreement with the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) and JEO Consulting Group for preliminary engineering design services for a pedestrian bridge over the Whitewater River as phase 2 of the Redbud Rail Trail.

City staff told the council they applied for and were awarded a grant that covers up to the amount submitted in the application (more than $5 million for construction). As part of the KDOT program, KDOT will also fund preliminary engineering. The contract before council limits JEO’s cost of services for preliminary engineering to $396,420; the city is only responsible for costs if the negotiated scope is exceeded.

Council members pressed staff on floodplain and bank stability concerns. Riley from JEO and other engineering representatives said the design work will analyze overtopping frequency and other stormwater risks: "we're going to be analyzing it to see how frequently it's going to be overtopping by stormwater," a project speaker said. Staff also explained KDOT will have iterative review at 30%, 60% and 90% design milestones and that the goal is to advertise (let) construction in 2027.

A council member moved to approve agreement No. 1119-25 (project TE0554-01) with JEO and the Kansas Secretary of Transportation for preliminary engineering; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.

What this means: the city can begin survey and design work funded by the KDOT grant; additional agreements for construction administration and the construction contract will come back to council when ready. Engineering and permitting work will consider floodplain and trail access issues raised during the meeting.

(Authority: KDOT grant documents; city agreement with JEO for TE0554-01.)