BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Construction of the new bridge on County Road 307 in Pike Township should get underway in late July, the commission was told at their regular meeting Monday. The main part of the meeting consisted of a pre-construction conference involving representatives of Smith & Company, Engineers; Robertson Contractors, Inc.; and the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT).
Engineer Jeremy Manning with Smith & Co., the project manager for the company on the project, reviewed the necessary documents outlining the responsibilities of all the parties involved. The contractor for construction of the bridge is Robertson Contractors in Poplar Bluff. The projected start date is July 17 with a final completion date of Oct. 24.
David Stinson, project manager with Robertson Contractors, said the box beams for the bridge should arrive in early August, which means the company will begin work July 17. He said actual construction should take only three to four weeks.
Robertson Contractors was the low bidder on the project with a bid of $199,094. Specifications call for a 40 feet by 21 feet single span bridge. It will be made of steel pilings and a steel reinforced concrete deck. The bridge will have guard rails. The site foreman for the project, according to Stinson, will likely be Larry Stotts.
Manning asked Stinson to allow a week prior to the start of construction for surveying at the site by his company.
"The farmers in the area would really like to see this project move forward and completed as soon as possible," said Manning.
Robertson Contractors was asked by Manning to submit a list of sub-contractors for the project. A detailed pre-construction outline of work schedules, payment schedules, change orders, labor requirements and quality control were reviewed.
Audie Pulliam, resident engineer with MoDOT, told Stinson it was important to submit the list of sub-contractors to MoDOT as well as equal rights employment opportunities, wage rates and documentation of suppliers for materials. Also present from MoDOT were inspector Chris Barnfield and materials inspector Terry Fields. MoDOT District 9 Project Manager Elquin Auala was present as well.
Pulliam asked if any part of the bridge would be on MoDOT's right-of-way, and Manning said it would not. He did say some MoDOT right-of-way would be used for equipment during construction.
Manning asked Stinson to be sure to contact Pike Township Board Member Robert Morris when County Road 307 would be closed for construction of the bridge.
Presiding Commissioner Greg Mathis said the Bell City School District and the Mennonite Church should be contacted about the actual dates the road would be closed because of the bus routes on the road.