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Tower Bridge cost at $14.5m
City, county seek funding for project
Published Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Recent estimates put the total cost of the Tower Road and bridge project at $14.5 million, with some funding sources yet to be determined.
That was the word from Fergus Falls and county officials at a meeting of the City Council and County Board of Commissioners Tuesday. The groups met for a project update from SRF Consulting Group, Inc., and a briefing on how the endeavor will be funded.
“Sometimes you have to get this far along to know what it’s really going to cost,” said Rick West, county engineer.
At this point in the project, an environmental assessment has been completed and submitted to the Federal Highway Department, said City Engineer Dan Edwards. A meeting to discuss feedback on the assessment is scheduled for early October.
Meanwhile, preliminary engineering work continues. The project design outlines a stretch of road beginning at Interstate 94 and running north along County Highway 1, through a roundabout at the intersection of Alcott Avenue, and continuing north across the Otter Tail River before meeting up with Lincoln Avenue. The roundabout — a junction in which traffic enters a one-way stream around a central island — was approved by the City Council in December after many residents in the Alcott area said it would be less disruptive than a stoplight.
The Tower Road bridge will have two piers in the reservoir, said Avo Toghramadjian, project manager with SRF Consulting Group. In early October, workers will begin to dig into the river bottom to determine what kind of soil they’ll be working with. A preliminary bridge plan is under review by the Minnesota Department of Transportation, but will not be complete until the soil borings are finished, Edwards said.
Planners currently have two dedicated funding sources that will contribute $10 million to the project. A total of $5 million from the federal government will be available over fiscal years 2010 and 2011 for construction costs only. The Municipal State Aid System and the County State Aid Highway System will contribute $5 million worth of gas tax dollars toward both construction and engineering costs.
That leaves the current funding gap at $4.5 million, though planners say there’s still time to explore additional funding sources. These include state bonds as well as more federal dollars.
“We have a large commitment from the federal government now, but we think we can justify a larger amount,” Edwards said.
If funding were to come up short, the City Council could also approve a tax levy for the project, Edwards said, though this remains only an option at this time.
Construction on the road and bridge project is still in the distant future, with a tentative start date of June 2010.Tower Bridge 14.5 million
Comments
The Daily Journal is happy to host community conversations about news and life in Fergus Falls and the surrounding area. As hosts, we expect guests will show respect for each other. That means we don't threaten or defame each other, and we keep conversations free of personal attacks. Witty is great. Abusive is not. If you think a post violates these standards, don't escalate the situation. Instead, flag the comment to alert us. We'll take action if necessary. It's not hard. This should be a place where people want to read and contribute -- a place for spirited exchanges of opinion. So those who persist with racist, defamatory or abusive postings risk losing the privilege to post at all.Posted by cascade (anonymous) on September 24, 2008 at 12:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
By the time construction starts in 2010 it will be $18 mil.
Posted by Callie25 (anonymous) on September 24, 2008 at 12:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)
There better not be a tax levy!!! We pay large enough taxes already, more than enough. This is not a REQUIRED project. It will save 3 MINUTES round trip time instead of taking the interstate. This project is for convenience purposes. Please urge your city councilman to vote no on any proposed tax levy.
Posted by caregiver90 (anonymous) on September 24, 2008 at 1:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I have lived in that area for a number of years. It will save more than three minutes if you drive the speed limit. Plus, it's not being built just to save a little time. Why is there so much negativity in these blogs?
Posted by walleyeslayer (anonymous) on September 24, 2008 at 2:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The reason there is so much negativity is because people in Fergus don't want their precious little city to grow and be prosperous. There are a lot of houses and businesses that are already out West Alcott and plenty of land for a lot more. This bridge has been in the planning for 30 years, it's time to finally improve the town and get something done.
Posted by Callie25 (anonymous) on September 24, 2008 at 2:59 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I guess my point is the tax levy. If you are willing to see your taxes shoot up again for a non-essential item, then you can stay and I'll move somewhere else I guess. And by the way, I was at the public meeting and the traffic engineer stated 3 minutes.
Posted by watermelon (anonymous) on September 24, 2008 at 5:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The bridge is to serve the needs of all the people living in the new homes on that side of the river. And sure there will be a tax levy. The needs of the few are paid by the rest of us. Is it essential? Goodness, no. Unfortunately, every single business in town has or is going to relocate to the area along I94, along with more new home development all over that general area. It's nothing more than a 17 million dollar shortcut. Try using those federal funds to replace all the old ones first, before wasting money on something like this. Our local government at work, folks. It's like a starving person who is down to their last 20 dollars in the world, and they buy a pair of shoes instead.
Posted by fergusflyer (anonymous) on September 25, 2008 at 7:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I am open to the idea, but what do the people on the south side of FF think? Do they want the quiet neighborhood that they live in to change to a busy, noisy neighborhood. I guess if it were me living on that side of town I would not be in favor of this. Seems like a lot of $ to save 3 minutes. I realize it may save some time, but come on, Maybe we could all slow down and relax, 3 minutes are not the end of the world. Most of the growth in FF has been on the east side, it is not like everthing is going to move to the south side. And as far as I know, the reason people are building on South side is for peace and quiet.
Posted by tippy98c (anonymous) on September 25, 2008 at 8:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I probably wouldn't use it very often. But if it will help other residents, stimulate growth, or cut down congestion on Lincoln I'm willing to pitch in.
I know local emergency services are evaluating options to provide faster responses and the bridge would certainly factor in.
Please excuse the cliche but 3 minutes CAN mean the difference between life, death, and property conservation.
Posted by Flashbang (anonymous) on September 25, 2008 at 12:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
As was noted in an earlier post, this bridge was 'conceived' 30 years ago. In-fact when the idea first jumped-up at a council meeting 30+ years ago, most of the downtown businessmen were against it. But 30+ years ago was a different story. The downtown was thriving and the businessmen did not want traffic diverted away from downtown.
When I was back in Fergus this past summer, you could see where the business was, and it was on the west end. The timing seems right to bring this to the people of Fergus Falls and let them have a say in the matter and hopefully the City will listen to the majority.
There are some very good posts here that are for and against the project. I enjoy reading a good debate/discussion on topics that affect everyone. Keep it going, maybe a councilmember or two is reading.
And walleyeslayer,,,,are the big ones biting now that the water is cooling down? Fall was my favorite time, especially at night.
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