The status of a pedestrian bridge that crosses Elm Creek has been put in doubt because engineer’s estimates for the span did not include installation costs.
Iola Assistant City Administrator Corey Schinstock told the Register the original price tag of $257,000 for the bridge, which would span Elm Creek along Washington Avenue, should have been pegged at about $349,000.
Thrive Allen County, working on the city’s behalf, has secured about $269,000 for the bridge project, but that leaves an $80,000 gap.
Engineers forgot to account for the cost of using a crane to place the bridge, Schinstock said.
“That’s the lion’s share of the difference,” he said.
The estimates also pegged the bridge’s length at 150 feet, instead of the actual 170 feet.
“But we knew that beforehand,” Schinstock said. “Those added to the cost, but not much.”
BECAUSE City Council members were hesitant to provide local funding for the project, Thrive Allen County acted on the city’s behalf and led the charge to obtain grant funding.
The effort was successful, securing a $197,000 grant from the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks as well as $30,000 from the Sunflower Foundation and $10,000 from the PeopleForBikes Coalition.
Schinstock plans to appeal to the KDWP to spot the city the needed difference.
Schinstock said he has notified City Council members about the issue, but is uncertain if any would support using city funds to make up the difference.
Schinstock noted Thrive “did everything we asked them to do” in terms of raising funds for the project. “We gave them a price, and they reached it.”
Another factor to consider, Schinstock said, is that delaying the project could jeopardize the grants the city already has secured.
“Some of them may have deadlines to get this project done,” Schinstock said.
Bridge to nowhere?
