April 16, 2026 Update

Staff will be having a discussion with council on April 21 regarding the bid results. All the required user groups at MnDOT have signed off on the final plans. This included an ADA review. Staff bid the project with 3 build options with 2 schedules. This was done to create options for the contract award that best meets budget and construction timing. Build options were no cladding, partial cladding ( bridge only), and full cladding (bridge & ramps). 4 contractors bid on the project. Two completion dates were bid, December 1, 2026 and June 1, 2027. The December 1, 2026 completion date was approximately $1.1 million more expense and the June 1, 2027 completion date. Staff would recommend the June 1, 2027 completion date. Lunda Construction was the lower bidder for all three-build options using the June 1, 2027 completion date. Using the low bids and adding total project costs such as the steel truss and engineering, the following are the total project costs.

$7.6M No Cladding
$8.0M Partial Cladding - Bridge Only
$8.4M Full Cladding – Bridge and Ramps

Budget: Recall we secured $6.2M in various state funds for this project. A funding gap exists ranging from $1.4 (No Cladding) to $2.2M (Full Cladding). Staff is willing to use a combination of Municipal State Aid (MSA) and Pedestrian and Cyclist Safety (PACS) funds to cover the no cladding gap. Using these funds will delay a sidewalk along Olinger Boulevard and delay a few smaller MSA maintenance type projects. It will also use PACS funds dedicated to the Prospect Knolls Project.

If council requires the full cladding option, closing the funding gap becomes much more impactful to infrastructure due for maintenance. We would have to delay the Wooddale Avenue Bridge Replacement Project from 2029 to 2030, delay two bridge beam painting projects on the Benton Avenue and Valley View Road bridges over CPKC Rail from 2030 to 2031, and delay Hillary Lane Reconstruction from 2031 to 2032. The delays to MSA projects will continue in out years.

Staff would recommend a June 1, 2027 completion date with no cladding