[Vision2020] Third Street may get temporary pedestrian bridge

[Moscow Cares]

Courtesy of today’s (July 17, 2018) Moscow-Pullman Daily News.

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Third Street may get temporary pedestrian bridge
City councilor proposes idea after council rejects bids

The plan to construct a multimodal bridge this year on Third Street to span Paradise Creek in Moscow officially died Monday night, but the opportunity for a bicycle and pedestrian bridge, at least for a stint, reemerged.

The Moscow City Council unanimously rejected bids for the multimodal project that were much higher than the city expected Monday night.

Then, Councilor Jim Boland proposed a portable bicycle and pedestrian bridge be installed temporarily while the city pursues more reasonably-priced bids for a permanent vehicle, bicycle and pedestrian bridge.

Boland motioned - and the council unanimously approved - to direct city staff to find and install a temporary portable bike and pedestrian bridge to connect Third Street to Mountain View Road, under the conditions that the purchase of the structure be completed by the end of fiscal year 2018, the cost of the bridge be under $50,000 to avoid any bidding process and the bridge be open to the public by the end of the calendar year.

When the multimodal bridge is constructed, Boland said the temporary bridge could be transported and installed over Paradise Creek on the other side of town to help connect the Hello Walk, which is currently located on the University of Idaho campus but is expected to stretch to the intersection of Sixth and Jackson streets.

Boland said he already contacted custom bridge companies. He said they could install the bridge for less than $50,000 by the end of the year. In addition, he said he has identified railroad flat cars that can be used for the bridge and the structure would then only need railings.

He said the bridge would be 10 and a half to 12 feet wide.

Councilor Art Bettge said the temporary bridge would provide immediate access for residents, especially given the city's heavy investment in the Third Street corridor improvements, that encourage residents to walk and bike the strip.

"It's just something to make sure that something happens immediately to tie these improvements together and make this accessible to the public," Boland said.

Councilor Gina Taruscio said she expects the temporary bridge to cost more in the range of $75,000 to $90,000.

City Supervisor Gary Riedner said staff will determine if Boland's proposed project is possible and it will be sent to a council committee and the council as it moves through the process.

Moscow Public Works Director Les MacDonald said geotechnical work, permitting and engineering would all likely have to be completed before the temporary bridge was installed.

He said it could be challenging to pull the project together this year, and construction in late fall on a creek bank could also be difficult.

Riedner said Boland's construction schedule is not likely achievable, but moving it to next spring would be more realistic.

The council, except for Brandy Sullivan who voted against, also agreed the city would continue to pursue grant funding or rebidding of the multimodal bridge, which was well over budget.

On June 14, Keller Associates, the design engineer on the multimodal bridge project, provided a $598,906 estimate to construct the bridge, not including a 15 percent construction contingency of almost $90,000.

The city announced last week that Clearwater Construction and Management Company, of Spokane, submitted the lowest bid in the amount of $920,957 - a $322,051 increase from the engineer's estimate.

The City Council adopted the fiscal 2018 budget with $580,000 earmarked for the bridge.

McDonald said Monday his recommendation to the council was to reject both bids and that city staff will review the components of the bid, identify potential changes and re-advertise the project late this year or early next year for construction in 2019.

"This time of year is not a great time of year to advertise projects," MacDonald said, noting summer is a busy time for contractors.

He said the city typically receives better pricing in the fall and winter than in late spring or summer.

"I think it's extremely unlikely we're going to get bids in the next year that are going to be anywhere close to what we have available, even without putting this other (temporary bridge) in place," Boland said.

MacDonald told the Daily News the city is still trying to determine why the bids came in so high.

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Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .

"Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)
http://www.MoscowCares.com
  
Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho
        
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