City, unsure how much to spend, offers four options for Jefferson Avenue Footbridge rehab
The historic Jefferson Avenue Footbridge on Commercial Street has been awaiting repairs and rehabilitation for eight years. Now that bidding for the project has concluded, next steps are still uncertain.
The footbridge, which connects Chase Street and Commercial Street, stretches 562 feet above 13 tracks of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) rail yard. It has been closed since March 2016 when a routine inspection discovered safety concerns. Due to its age, the footbridge is in need of ADA upgrades, repairs from corrosion and replacement of lead-based paint.
The city received one bid on the project from Branco Enterprises Inc. As the work unfolds, the city still must determine how much it is willing to spend on the bridge and how far the rehabilitation should go. To help in that process, the city held a community information session Thursday evening to introduce neighbors and nearby business owners to four possible paths forward and gather feedback before bringing a plan to Springfield City Council.
Four options vary in price, lifecycle
Springfield Director of Public Works Dan Smith presented the four options to consider, with the project including two alternates for flexibility. One factor subject to change is the south-side approach, with an option to remove that portion of the original bridge structure. The other factor is to provide a paint "overcoat," which means that instead of removing the existing paint, it would be painted over. Both of these options reduce contractor risk and therefore also the cost.
Here are the four options presented:
Option | Price | Details |
A | $8.5 million | Removes approach and uses overcoat paint method. |
B | $9.5 million | Includes approach but uses overcoat paint method. |
C | $9.9 million | Removes approach but uses full paint system. |
D | $10.8 million | Includes approach and full paint system. |
Options using just the overcoat paint face the shortest lifecycle before major maintenance is necessary, roughly 5-10 years, while the full paint system extends this to 20-25 years. In the case of the approach removal, the stairs would be moved closer to the bridge. Although removal of the approach opens up plaza space, it does mean removing a part of the existing historical structure, something that some in attendance Thursday were wary of doing. The bridge has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 2003.
Smith said the city can also rebid the project or wait to rebid the project but noted that delaying construction further than it has already been delayed would not be beneficial, particularly with prices not expected to decline.
Where is the money coming from?
Due to inflation, all projects are costing more money. When the project went out for initial bids in 2021, the city had estimated the rehabilitation to cost $3.2 million but bids came in over double that amount. Now, these amounts have again grown. Because of the age and nature of the structure, the project is also complex, labor intensive and risky for contractors to take on.
Currently, the city has secured $8.4 million for the project, with $7.8 million coming from the state, $50,000 from the Commercial Club and the rest from local sales tax funds. The state money does not have a deadline for expenditure.
More: With funding in place, Jefferson Avenue Footbridge supporters hope for swift repairs
At the upcoming Monday night's council meeting, an ordinance regarding the issuance of bonds for several city projects will be presented to council for a first reading. Those projects include the Springfield Art Museum Phase 1 funding, renovations at Historic City Hall, acquisition of a new building for Workforce Development and the footbridge. The bonding package includes the bridge to allow the city flexibility to "fund the gap" in the case a more expensive option is selected.
The four rehabilitation options will be presented to council at its Tuesday meeting May 21 at 11:30 a.m. which will include the feedback gathered from the community on their preferred method moving forward. City representatives noted that the project is expected to begin construction in spring next year with completion targeted for fall 2025, if a bid is accepted.
Marta Mieze covers local government at the News-Leader. Have feedback, tips or story ideas? Contact her at mmieze@news-leader.com.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Jefferson Avenue Footbridge given four options for rehabilitation
