Subject:
Title
First Amendment to the Agreement with URS Corporation Southern, Inc., for professional engineering consulting services for the Dunedin Causeway Bridge project development and environment study.
label
Recommended Action:
Recommended Action
Consider approving the first amendment to the agreement with URS Corporation Southern, Inc. (URS).
Contract No. 134-0092-NC, PID No. 000423A in the amount of $377,322.25. Chairman to sign and Clerk to attest.
Body
Strategic Plan:
Ensure Public Health, Safety, and Welfare
2.5 Enhance pedestrian and bicycle safety
Foster Continual Economic Growth and Vitality
4.4 Invest in infrastructure to meet current and future needs
4.5 Provide safe and effective transportation systems to support the efficient flow of motorists, commerce, and regional connectivity
Summary:
This item is back before the Board of County Commissioners (Board) for consideration with additional information relating to the cost and time delay of additional alignment alternatives and opposition from the City of Dunedin (City) and the City of Dunedin Ad Hoc Advisory Committee (Ad Hoc Committee).
On August 4, 2015, the Board directed staff to amend the agreement with URS to include six (6) additional alternative replacement concepts.
If approved, the amendment revises the agreement with URS to include additional work required for the detailed development of six (6) additional replacement alternative concepts for the Dunedin Causeway main bridge. This additional work effort will increase the agreement by $377,322.25, and extend the agreement duration by an additional six (6) months, through June 3, 2017, for a total of thirty (30) months.
Prior to the August 4, 2015 Board meeting, the City and the Ad Hoc Committee endorsed the staff and design professional’s proposal to evaluate the three (3) center alignment concepts. After receiving the design professional’s cost proposal to include the six (6) additional concepts, staff solicited support from the City and Ad Hoc Committee. Both the City and Ad Hoc Committee reiterated their recommendation to proceed with the three (3) center alignment alternatives.
Background Information:
At the August 4, 2015 Board meeting, there was discussion that future approval of any center alignment concept will require the installation of a temporary bridge. The design professional provided a relative order of magnitude estimate of $10,000,000 for the temporary bridge. It is important to note that a decision to proceed with a center alignment alternative will not necessarily cost more than a north or south alignment alternative. North or south alignment alternatives introduce costs to the project due to a variety of factors such as; sea grass mitigation, recreation mitigation, and/or relocation of utility services.
The original scope and fee schedule proposed three (3) viable concepts to be selected for further evaluation based on a preliminary screening of the nine (9) replacement alternatives. The nine (9) replacement alternative concepts for detailed development, as proposed in this amendment for the main bridge, are as follows:
High-Level Fixed Bridge (with a minimum vertical clearance of 65 feet)
• North Alignment
• Existing Alignment
• South Alignment
Mid-Level Movable Bridge (with a minimum vertical clearance of 35 feet)
• North Alignment
• Existing Alignment
• South Alignment
Low-Level Movable Bridge (with a minimum vertical clearance of 21 feet)
• North Alignment
• Existing Alignment
• South Alignment
Approval of this amendment will enable staff and URS to move forward with the project development and environmental (PD&E) process, including development and business analysis of the nine replacement alternatives.
The Board approved the original agreement with URS on November 19, 2014, to evaluate the rehabilitation or replacement of the Dunedin Causeway main bridge, the tidal relief bridge, and the approaches and public access to recreation areas on the causeway.
The bridges are located in the City of Dunedin. The project limits extend along Dunedin Causeway Boulevard from the entrance to Honeymoon Island State Park, west of Royal Stewart Arms Parkway on Honeymoon Island and east to Gary Place/Gary Circle on Ward Island, a distance of approximately two (2) miles. The estimated construction cost is $100 million. Approval by the Federal Highway Administration is critical to the future funding for the design and construction of this project. Additionally, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process for funding approval through the project development and environment study must be followed with the most important element of that process, the categorical inclusion of the public in the development of the PD&E study.
Fiscal Impact:
Original twenty-four (24) month expenditure: $1,356,433.73
Amendment No. 1 increase: $ 377,322.25
Revised contract amount: $1,733,755.98
Funding for this project is derived from the Infrastructure Sales Tax (Penny for Pinellas): Transportation and Traffic Flow, Bridge Rehabilitation Program Allocation.
Staff Member Responsible:
Kevin Becotte, P.E., Director, Engineering and Technical Support
Joe Lauro, Director, Purchasing
Partners:
City of Dunedin
City of Dunedin Ad Hoc Advisory Committee
Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Board
MPO Technical Coordinating Committee
MPO Citizens Advisory Committee
MPO Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee.