Clewiston bridge project moves forward with additional FDOT funding

Posted 9/22/21

CLEWISTON -- A Clewiston City project is coming closer to becoming a reality.

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Clewiston bridge project moves forward with additional FDOT funding

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CLEWISTON -- A Clewiston City project is coming closer to becoming a reality.

City of Clewiston Board of Commissioners voted 4-0 to approve a state-funded Grant Supplemental Agreement between the Florida Department of Transportation and the city to earmark additional funds for the C21 Bridge Project during its regular Sept. 20 meeting. Commissioner Hillary Hyslope was not present.

The city accepted $2 million in FDOT grant funding in 2020, which allows FDOT to participate in the design, construction, engineering and inspection of the C21 Bridge Canal Crossing. However, per House Bill 3781, an additional $3,652,000 has been made available and earmarked for the project for a total of $5,652,000.

City engineering consultant, Andy Tilton, P.E., of Johnson Engineering, told commissioners that all plans and calculations have been submitted to FDOT which must approve all work before the city can put the jobs out to bid.

“Before we put it out to bid, we have to work with the Corps and get their contractor moved out of the way,” he said, explaining that the state doesn’t allow two contractors to work on the same piece of land simultaneously.

“They’re afraid they’ll fight and sometimes they will,” he said.

He anticipated a contractor currently on the site should be moved out by October or November allowing the city to put the job out to bid, he hopes by the end of the year with completion possibly as early as July of 2022.

“Construction is anticipated in about six months,” he said. “So sometime next year it should be completed.”

City Manager Randy Martin said that was an improvement over the original date just to access the area next year.

Mayor Kristine Peterson asked Tilton if he had any concerns over the cost of materials.

“It dependents upon the type of materials,” he said.

Currently, wood prices have leveled off, although the project doesn’t call for much wood, he said. Concrete is still pretty high, at least at the jobs he’s been looking at and much of the contract is concrete.

Commissioner Mali Gardner hoped local subcontractors and businesses will be sought to work on the projects.

Tilton said there are area contractors that can do the work and some concrete will be poured in place.

“But the majority of it will be precast in other locations,” he said. 

bridge, C21 bridge project, Clewiston, FDOT, construction

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