Force Construction of Columbus has received the contract to perform work on the first phase of the State Street revitalization project.
Columbus Board of Works members approved a contract with Force on Tuesday, agreeing to pay the company $2,112,457 for the work, which includes improvements to the Haw Creek bridge leading into the intersection of Second, Third and State streets and Central Avenue.
Force’s bid for the project was $43,043 less than the lone other bid submitted by Milestone Contractors Inc., also of Columbus.
The project calls for the existing pedestrian zone on the north side of the bridge to be widened from 5 feet to 10 feet, and the existing sidewalk on the south side to be widened from 4 feet to 6 feet, Heather Pope, Columbus redevelopment director, said in an earlier interview.
New barriers and railings will be installed to protect pedestrians and cyclists, including a 54-inch cable railing system along the bridge’s border with the water. Aesthetics include gear-shaped gateway nodes on either side of the bridge, as well as lighting fixtures along the pedestrian pathways.
The city is working with the Indiana Department of Transportation, which is planning a paving project near the bridge work, which will be done at the same time. Work on the project is expected to be completed by May, according to the contract agreement.
In June, the Columbus Redevelopment Commission unanimously approved spending nearly $2.2 million on the first phase of the State Street revitalization project.
