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Council approves contingency spending and FY2027 advancement for Lake Woodbine bridge project
Summary
The council approved splitting a 10% contingency on the Lake Woodbine bridge low bid and advancing $500,000 of FY2027 funding; the motion passed 7–0 after staff explained contract timing and contingency sharing with IDOT and the contractor.
The Lake Forest City Council voted unanimously on Jan. 20 to approve construction contingencies and an early funding advancement for the Lake Woodbine bridge project.
Superintendent of Engineering Byron Coutts told the council the low bid for the Lake Woodbine bridge work was $4,297,000 and that staff had set a 10% contingency (about $429,000) when budgeting. He asked the council to approve two specific contingency allocations: $214,882 to reimburse Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT)–eligible invoices and $214,881 for Dunnet Bay Construction Company; staff also requested advancing $500,000 of fiscal year 2027 funding to cover near-term needs.
Coutts said the 50/50 split between IDOT-eligible costs and contractor-funded items mirrors the approach used on a recent Deerpath Streetscape project and allows the city to reimburse eligible scope changes while leaving non‑IDOT tasks to the contractor for faster in-field resolution.
After brief council questions about traffic communications and an absence of public comment, an unidentified alderman moved, a colleague seconded, and the council adopted the measure on a roll-call vote: seven ayes, zero nays.
The approved contingencies and funding advancement will allow the contractor to proceed with upcoming arch installation, deck and sidewalk work, and associated construction coordination through the summer months, with an anticipated project completion in mid‑September.
