HANNIBAL – The Fixing Access to Rural Missouri (FARM) bridge program will replace several bridges primarily in northern Missouri. “These bridges will be built using the design-build procurement method,” said Missouri Department of Transportation Project Director Jeff Gander. Design-build is a delivery method that includes hiring one contracting team to complete the design work and build the highway improvement under one contract. MoDOT provides the project goals, budget and schedule and the contractor team completes the work. This technique has been known to significantly save time and provide cost savings.
The project’s primary purpose is to replace several deficient bridges that are located on low-volume routes and are:
- Weight-restricted
- In poor condition
- On timber pile
- One-lane but carry two-way traffic
“We solicited letters of interest and have received several statements of qualifications or SOQ’s,” Gander explained. MoDOT’s FARM Bridge Team, consisting of professional engineers, has completed their evaluations of the SOQs submitted by potential design-build teams. “From all the SOQ’s submitted, we created a short list of five teams who will compete for the contract to oversee the design and construction of several bridge replacements over the next few years,” Gander explained.
The following teams were selected to further develop their proposals on the project:
Capital - HDR
Clarkson - Burns & McDonnell
Emery Sapp & Sons - Parsons
Lehman - Wilson
OCCI – Benesch
The FARM Bridge Team will release the Request for Proposals (RFP) on January 12, 2021. “This means these five teams will receive our formal request to submit their proposals to design and construct these bridges,” Gander explained.
“We have five very strong teams, and we are excited to work with them to develop their proposals over the next few months,” Gander said. The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission is expected to award the project at its May Commission meeting.
Gander added, “We had excellent participation, and thank everyone who expressed interest.”
The program is being funded through a grant from the Federal Highway Administration.
All information about the new bridge project, including a timeline, is available on the web at https://www.modot.org/farm-bridge-program. Anyone interested in receiving email updates about the program can sign up here.