Sticker shock: High cost of asphalt delays Taussig Road project
The City Council last week scrapped all the bids received earlier for the project. The move was made necessary when the contractor initially chosen for the job informed the city it would have to boost the cost by hundreds of thousands of dollars over what was budgeted.
New bids will be sought with contractors instructed to prepare two sets of bids - one using asphalt, the other using concrete.The high cost of asphalt - which is making substantial street repairs cost prohibitive for many smaller communities - is prompting local governments to opt for concrete roadways.
Bridgeton's budget contains $2.9 million for the Taussig Road project; however, the city ultimately was facing a bill of $3.5 million if it moved forward under the proposal on the table.
The council voted 5-3 to reject the proposal. Ward 3 Alderman Andrew Kasprzyk said that while the unexpected cost bothered him, he didn't want to return to the starting point on the project.
"The price of oil is affecting everything," he said.
A concern for Mayor Conrad Bowers was an escalation clause the contractor inserted into the proposal aimed at covering the ongoing increase in the price of asphalt.
"I don't know how common this is," he said, referring to the clause.
Public Works Director Richard Houchin said the city has never had a street project proposal that included an escalation clause.
Ward 3 Councilwoman Christine Waitman suggested the city insert its own clause, one calling for a "not to exceed" figure that would apply to an escalation in the cost of materials.
"We have a budget to deal with," she said. "We have to have a good idea of what something's going to cost us."
Houchin said the Taussig Road plans initially were crafted in such a way that the changes the council sought could be accommodated with little additional expense.
"The plans will not have to be redone," he said, adding that only "minor adjustments" will have to be made to part of the plans.
The move is expected to delay the project by only a few weeks, Houchin said.
