City pushes back Jefferson Avenue Footbridge bid deadline another week

The city of Springfield has extended the bid deadline for the Jefferson Avenue Footbridge rehabilitation project by another week.

The deadline is now 10:30 a.m. on April 30, according to a news release issued this morning. Previous deadlines had been set for April 23 and April 9, according to past reporting.

“This is the third addendum issued as we continue to receive a lot of questions about the project,” said Nicholas Edelman, city project manager, in the release. “Addendum two provided additional contract flexibility that many of the contractors needed additional time to consider. We decided to push the deadline back one more week to give ample time.”

The third addendum includes updated annual wage requirements in addition to the latest deadline change. Information about the bid process is available on the city's website.

The north-side Jefferson Avenue Footbridge has been closed for eight years due to safety concerns. Built in 1902, the 562-foot bridge allows pedestrians to cross 13 tracks of the Burlington Northern Santa Fe rail yard between Commercial and Chase streets. It was closed in 2016 after Public Works discovered corrosion and steel loss during a routine inspection.

In June 2023, $8 million from the state’s fiscal 2024 budget was appropriated for the footbridge repair work. Springfield City Council approved the funds in November. An additional $300,000 in the estimated repair cost will be paid by the city’s quarter-cent capital improvement and eighth-cent transportation sales taxes, and funds have already been budgeted, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting.