Railroad platform bid comes in $1.4 million over budget

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BY CHUCK VANDENBERG
PCC EDITOR

FORTY MADISON - The city of Fort Madison took another punch in the gut on Tuesday when a construction bid for the railroad platform at the proposed new Amtrak Depot came in $1.4 million over engineer estimates.

The bids were opened today at the Iowa Department of Transportation and the lowest bid was from Iowa Bridge and Culvert and came in at $2.83 million, which according to City Manager David Varley is double what the city was budgeting.

"That's correct. It's double what we budgeted and finding another $1.4 million is not gonna be easy," Varley.

Varley said engineering estimates from Klingner & Associates were at $1.3 million, but he said he was figuring closer to $1.4 million.

"I don't know. I thought this would come in a bit high. I mean you're working with the railroad and they have so many rules and regulations and insurance requirements," Varley said. "Working next to the tracks also means you can't work all the time when trains are going by. I realize how difficult it is to work with railroads. I think engineers would be able to see this stuff, too."

The bid letting is up for discussion at tonight's City Council meeting. Varley said he just found out about the bid Tuesday afternoon and said it was a shocker.

This is the third major project in the past year that has come in substantially over engineering estimates. Two other projects, the Avenue G sidewalk and curb replacement that was planned with grant money from the waste water treatment rehab project came in way over estimates, as did the Old Highway 61 rehab that was supposed to start this fall.

Both of those estimates were from HR Green out of Cedar Rapids and were met with the furrowed brows of several city councilman and Mayor Brad Randolph.

Varley said he understands why the construction bids can come in high as they have on all three projects, but he's perplexed as to why engineers haven't been seeing a more accurate picture.

"They haven't been very accurate. It's not the same firm and all three had extenuating circumstances."

He said much of the increased costs of all the projects are centered around the unknowns.

"I understand the the downtown project too, I just don't know whey the engineers didn't get that. It's like the railroad project...if I have to jump through these hoops, you're gonna have to pay me a premium for it.

Amtrak depot, bids, budget, construction, engineers, fort madison, Pen City Current

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