Aurora Public Works officials intend to do rehabilitation work on nine bridges in the city yet this year.
Aldermen are set to vote next week on a $301,765 contract with Elgin-based Martam Construction Inc. Because the City Council put the contract on the consent agenda for the Sept. 28 meeting, it is expected to pass.
The city inspects and maintains 33 bridges on its local street network.
In a memo to aldermen, Tim Weidner, the city’s engineering coordinator, said the bridges are inspected according to the Federal Highway Administration National Bridge Inspection Standards.
The inspection data is used by the Illinois Department of Transportation, or IDOT, to allocate funding for bridge projects.
Aurora’s Engineering Division also reviews the reports to monitor bridge conditions, and plan for repairs and maintenance activities, Weidner said.
The bridges identified for work this year are: New York Street over the Fox River; two on Downer Place, over both the east and west branches of the river; Sullivan Road over the river; Wood Street over the Burlington-Northern Santa Fe Railroad tracks; Farnsworth Avenue, over the tracks; Indian Trail, over the east end of the river; Benton Street, over the river; and Farnsworth Avenue over Indian Creek.
The city received two bids for the bridge work, and awarded the work to Martam as the lowest responsible bid. It was 6.6% less than the engineer’s estimate for the work, Weidner said.
The city budgeted $400,000 for the work in the 2021 budget.
Weidner said the city is looking to begin the work immediately after council approval with an expected finish in November, depending on the weather.
