The High Trestle Trail Extension - SW Ordnance Road to SE Magazine Road project consists of the construction of a PCC trail along old railroad grade and under US Highway 69 by means of a cast-in-place RCB pedestrian tunnel with formliner. The project also consists of earthwork, PCC street pavement, water main, storm sewer, traffic signal modifications and other similar items generally located both west and east of South Ankeny Boulevard/US Highway 69 and north of the SW Ordnance Road & South Ankeny Boulevard intersection.
The construction improvements include approximately 6,700 CY of earthwork, 590 LF of storm sewer and culvert, 120 LF of 16-inch trenchless storm sewer, 275 LF of 16-inch water main, 170 LF of trenchless 16-inch water main in 30-inch steel casing pipe, 3,440 SY of 6-inch PCC trail, 250 CY of cast-in-place RCB pedestrian tunnel with formliner, tunnel lighting, tunnel fencing, traffic signal modifications, subgrade preparation, modified subbase, subdrain and removal and replacement of roadway pavement and sidewalks, traffic control, erosion control, surface restoration and miscellaneous associated work necessary to complete the project.
The bid opening for this project was held on Tuesday, January 29, 2019. Four (4) bids were received as follows:
1. Halbrook Excavating $2,054,803.00
2. Shekar Engineering, P.L.C. $2,555,874.27
3. Absolute Concrete $2,830,228.12
4. Rognes Corp $3,281.940.50
The Engineer's Estimate for the project was $1,566,946.00. The bids ranged from approximately 31% above to 109% above the estimate.
The City's Public Works staff, the design engineering consultant and the Iowa DOT have reviewed the bid results, and Public Works staff contacted several contractors who were on the plan holders list following the bid. Some details worth noting include:
- The bids received were substantially higher than expected; there was significant variability in the bids received; and the number of bidders was lower than anticipated.
- The project was designed to minimize impacts to U.S. Hwy 69 / South Ankeny Boulevard traffic and limit the construction impacting traffic to the summer months when schools are not in session.
- Common concerns from plan holders who did not submit bids include:
A) The proposed construction schedule is very aggressive
B) The pedestrian tunnel under South Ankeny Blvd. consisted of 4 stages
C) The project is complex involving a large number of specialty subcontractors which will involve more than normal project management commitment by the prime contractor
D) Several contractors have limited availability of construction crews due to a large amount of carry-over work from a wet 2018 construction season.
- The low bid amount significantly exceeds the amount of funding allocated for this project in the 2019 Capital Improvements Program.
The High Trestle Trail Extension project is considered a high priority project for the City of Ankeny and the Des Moines MPO. However, given the bid results and feedback received from contractors following the bid, it is recommended that the bids be rejected at this time. The Iowa DOT and the design engineering consultant have concurred with this recommendation.
If the City Council concurs with the recommendation, Public Works staff will prepare this project for rebidding later this Spring or early Summer, while addressing some of the previously mentioned contractor concerns including using less construction stages for the pedestrian tunnel and using a less aggressive construction schedule. Pending more favorable bid results, the project's construction could then commence in the Summer / Fall of 2019 with completion in 2020. The schedule for Phase 2 of the High Trestle Trail Extension, between SE Magazine Road and SE Oralabor Road, could remain as currently proposed in the Capital Improvement Program with design scheduled in 2020 and construction in 2021. |