Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Bridges topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Congress Street Bridge: city says federal aid cleared and contract nearing completion
Summary
City engineer told the budget committee that Congress Street Bridge design is ready and the project has been allocated about $25 million in federal-aid (FHWA) funding; bids previously returned in the $40–45 million range, and staff said they are finalizing a federal contract and related wage and procurement details.
John Woody, the city’s engineer, told the budget committee that the Congress Street Bridge project has progressed through design and that the city has an FHWA federal-aid allocation of roughly $25 million that would supplement about $24 million already identified from city and state sources.
Woody said the earlier bids for the project came back significantly higher than previously estimated — in the $40 million to $45 million range — so staff pursued a federal-aid grant to close the gap. He told the committee the city is in the final stages of negotiating the federal contract; once signed, the contract will allow staff to resolve prevailing wage and other federal procurement conditions so work can proceed to construction bidding and award.
Why it matters: The bridge was described as a high-cost, high-priority capital project. The transcript indicates roughly $12 million in city capital and $12 million in state funding were in place before the federal allocation; staff cautioned that the final contract language and wage determinations remain to be settled before a construction contract can be executed.
Other bridge work: Woody also reported progress on smaller bridge projects — Woodrow, Commerce and Chopsy Hill — and described differing funding mixes: Woodrow is slated for a 50/50 state-local match through the state’s local-bridge program, while Commerce Drive is funded through a state LOTs program that covers construction after city-funded design work.
What happens next: Staff said they expect to receive the federal contract language soon and will proceed with procurement steps. The committee asked that staff ensure the final funding plan and contract terms are shared with the council before commitment to construction contracts.
