MOUNT VERNON — ADR & Associates of Newark was chosen as the engineering design firm to plan the rehabilitation of the first two bridges on the Heart of Ohio Trail. ADR was bidding against long-time county engineering partner Richland Engineering of Mansfield, which submitted a bid for the project of $31,200, over 25 percent higher than ADR’s bid of $24,854.
The first of the two bridges to be worked on will be the bridge near Barb’s Diner on Columbus Road, near the start of the Mount Vernon end of the trail. The second bridge is where the trail crosses Dry Creek, near Henry Road, in southern Clinton Township.
Kim Marshall, Knox County Park District director, expressed no preference toward either engineering firm, remaining at the meeting only long enough to recommend the commissioners add a couple of stipulations to the contract of whichever firm was awarded the contract.
First, a timetable of product deliveries must be agreed upon for the contract to be valid. This time frame, starting with the authorization to proceed based on winning the bid, will require submission of the preliminary plan to Knox County by April 30. The final plan submission will have to be made to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources by June 15 for ODNR’s Recreational Trails Program Grant. The plan, specs and all other engineering information will be submitted to Knox County by July 15.
Second, instead of monthly payments to the engineering firm for services rendered, the county will be making three payments, starting with 45 percent of the total contract cost upon receipt of the preliminary plan, and another 45 percent upon receipt of the final plan, specs and engineering. The final 10 percent of the contract will be paid once final construction is completed and approved.
The commissioners awarded the contract to ADR & Associates, with the above qualifications as an addendum.
The next bidding to be decided on this project is for construction management, which ADR and another firm, DLZ out of Columbus, have bid upon. Other firms may bid for this as well.
