TK Concrete, Inc. was awarded the bid for the North Newton Hike and Bike Trail project. City council approved the low bid of $196,178 from the Pella company.
The trail will extend from the existing trail at North 11th Avenue East and East 12th Street North to Woodland Park. It will be an on-street, signed route from East Eighth Street North from North 11th Avenue East to North 15th Avenue East because of space constraints and design criteria for a bike path crossing railroad tracks.
The trail project was identified in the Community Investment Plan as needing to be constructed to continue the City-Wide Hike and Bike Trail. In 2013, Newton was awarded a Transportation Enhancement grant from the Iowa Department of Transportation in the amount of $185,543 to be used to extend the existing hike and bike trail on the north side of town.
“This grant can pay no more than 80 percent of the project cost up to $185,543.33, with the remainder cost paid by the city,” city administrator Bob Knabel said.
The city prepared and submitted plans for the project to the IDOT who received bids from seven contractors throughout the state. Along with TK Concrete, the Elder Corporation of Pleasant Hill, Absolute Concrete Construction, Inc. of Slater, Howrey Construction, Inc. of Rockwell City, Vieth Construction Corporation of Cedar Falls, Jasper Construction Services, Inc. of Newton and Con-Struct, Inc. of Marshalltown also submitted bids ranging from $216,000 to $284,562.
Including design, construction and estimated construction phase engineering services, the total project cost came to $226,178. The grant will pay for $180,942 of the project cost with the city’s local match coming in at $45,235.
After applying for an estimated $30,000 for in-house engineering toward the city cost, the total city obligation comes to $15,235. The funds for the project will come from the Plant Two TIF District and the 2014 bond proceeds.
Following the construction of the path, the city anticipates installing a sidewalk along the east side of East Eighth Street North to provide pedestrians a safe route to Woodland Park.
Also, after a request by a citizen, the City Traffic Safety Committee recommends replacing a yield sign with a stop sign for eastbound traffic at North 11th Avenue East and East Eighth Street North. The city found that changing the yield sign to a stop sign will make the intersection safer for both motorists and cyclists.
This is the final planned piece to the community bike trail. Parks administrator Nathan Unsworth said the department will begin to explore routes to different ares of town including a trail that goes through downtown.
Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com