hard deadlines

Proposed steel Sakonnet River Bridge, image from RIDOT.

Construction could begin on the new Sakonnet River Bridge as early as this spring if internal review of the low-bidder's paperwork proceeds on schedule, according to RIDOT Managing Engineer of Bridge Engineering, David Fish.

Cardi Corporation of Warwick, RI was identified this week as the low bidder, with a proposal for the weathering steel option coming in at $164 million. In a telephone interview this morning, Fish said the aim was to have a signed contract by April 15, depending on review by RIDOT and the Department of Administration.

"We don't expect there to be any issue with Cardi," said Fish. "They've done a number of large projects like the iWay."

The Cardi bid was substantially lower — $22 million — than competing bids from Walsh and Cianbro, which were both close to $186M. Why the other two estimates were 13% higher and less than a million apart, Fish couldn't speculate. "This early in the game we don't have a logical explanation [for the difference]. Could be [Cardi's] familiarity with contracting and construction procedures in Rhode Island."

A cursory examination of the bid documents, which are available on the RIDOT site, shows that Cardi came in at the low end for many of the areas involving raw materials (soil, crushed stone, rip rap) leading this reporter to wonder if the proximity of the Cardi facility on Boyd's Lane, about a mile down the road, might be providing an advantage. "Could be," said Fish.

Assuming the contract is signed on schedule, the first construction operations — which Fish said would likely be construction of piers and abutments, driving pipe piles, and excavation work — is anticipated to kick off in late spring.

Maintenance on the existing span will continue "for as long as traffic is on the bridge," Fish said. And while this contract does not include the work to demolish the present bridge, RIDOT will advertise for bids as soon as there is a definite completion date. "And since there are bonuses for early completion," said Fish, "We would move that date up."