One bid submitted for Jefferson Avenue Footbridge project

The city of Springfield has received one bid for the Jefferson Avenue Footbridge rehabilitation project after pushing back the deadline for submissions twice.

Branco Enterprises Inc. submitted a base bid of $9.9 million, according to a news release.

"Public Works will now work to review the bid proposal for responsiveness," officials said in the release. "Once it is determined that the bid qualifies, the project team will discuss the proposal and bid alternatives for construction and cost feasibility and determine a path forward."

Public Works would bring a proposal to Springfield City Council for consideration.

Leading up to the bid, the city set a deadline of 10:30 a.m. on April 30. Previous deadlines had been set for April 23 and April 9, with officials citing the need to clarify aspects of the project in the extensions.

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.