Gage County officials name contractor for Pickrell bridge replacement
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BEATRICE – A Ceresco, Nebraska firm has been selected by Gage County to replace a closed bridge at the east edge of Pickrell….with a triple concrete box culvert.
J-J-K Construction will install the 14-by-14-by-64 culverts at a cost of $774,269. The company was one of ten contractors who submitted bids on the project, along Pickrell Road….which carries significant traffic to and from the village north of Beatrice.
The company plans to start work August 5th with 60-working days for the project. Jeremy Kyncl is with J-J-K. "We just got done doing one with Lancaster County. That was 115 working days and we got it done in 30 days, our part. We're still pushing it to get done ahead of time. Like any other job, we want to move on to the next one."
The work could be completed by mid-October. Gage County Board Chairman Erich Tiemann said the county tried to fast-track the project….considering both cost and time frame for completing the project and reopening Pickrell Road near Southwest 2nd Road.
"This is moving it along about as quickly as possible. We've also put emphasis on time, so there's language in the bidding documents that we can forego the price, for time....depending on...if it's rational to do so, or not. This is a major arterial for us, so we are trying to move this ahead."
J-J-K’s bid was the lowest dollar amount of the ten contractors submitting prices, and the second quickest time frame for completing the work.
Bids for the project came in as high as $1.28 million. Based on receiving materials, Kyncl says it’s possible the company could start the work prior to the August 5th date in their bid.
Engineer Mark Mainelli said all of the companies were well qualified to do the project. "On a structure this size, this is not a minor box culvert. We usually stop at a 12-by-12. We've built some 14-by-14s...and up to 16, which they've done for us in the past. You've gotta order all the rebar and the steel. But the time we deal with the utlities...we've got right-of-way....we've got permitting....mobilization."
County officials wanted to expedite the project as quickly as possible, partly because of harvest season coming up. The bridge was closed this spring after a routine bridge inspection last year found deterioration that made it unsafe.