Shovel Ready Jobs anyone?
Per Richard Phillips of the Encinitas City Manager’s Office:
Construction of the Santa Fe grade-separated pedestrian undercrossing was been placed out to bid by SANDAG today (8/30). The project is the first of four grade-separated pedestrian undercrossings that are planned for the rail corridor that runs through Encinitas. Part of the Santa Fe project includes construction of a small portion (220’) of the rail trail just south of the undercrossing site. The purpose of the grade-separated pedestrian crossings is to improve pedestrian access and circulation across the rail corridor and improve rail/pedestrian safety conditions. Planning of the project began in 2002 with the settlement agreement between the City and NCTD and obtaining a funding commitment from the State for preliminary design and engineering. The City and SANDAG partnered in the project, with the City taking the lead in design approval and environmental documentation phase, and SANDAG on the construction phase. Funding for the project is from State TCRP, STIPP, a TransNet funding swap by SANDAG and the City of Encinitas CIP # WMC02A ($1.25 m).
The bid due date is October 5, 2011 and once the contractor is selected, construction period is estimated at 8-12 months.
This does have the potential to help. The questions I have include:
Will smaller contractors have a shot at a job like this, or will it be awarded to a larger contractor who regularly makes political donations;
Will this add any jobs or will it simply be added to the workload of the existing resources of the winning bidder?
Jerome, perhaps you can keep us posted as this moves forward?