Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the I89 Bridge topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
High bids pushed redesign for I‑89 walkway bridge; city narrowed funding gap, seeks grants
Summary
The commission heard that bids for the long-span walkway bridge over I‑89 were much higher than the engineer’s estimate, prompting value engineering and a redesign that reduced the funding gap by nearly half; the city is now applying for grants to cover the remainder.
City development staff described the walkway bridge project over Interstate 89 and said initial contractor bids were substantially above estimates, triggering a redesign and value-engineering process. "We got the bids in August. They were extremely high. They were much, much higher than the engineer's estimate," Alana Blanchard said, and the city has narrowed the funding gap by about 50 percent while pursuing grants to fill the balance.
Blanchard said the bridge will require long approach ramps (the span crosses at roughly 32 feet above the roadway), and manufacturing lead times make construction lengthy; she estimated the project could take about 2.5 to 3 years. The commission heard that the city has adjusted some design elements (for example, switching part of a ramp railing to fencing and relocating conduit) to reduce cost and complexity.
