CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Approve the award of Bid 23-020, Bridge and Retaining Wall Railing Maintenance, to Crossroad Construction for an amount not to exceed $386,316.00 plus a 5% contingency
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DEPARTMENT: Transportation, Engineering and Development
SUBMITTED BY: William Novack, Director/City Engineer
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
N/A
BACKGROUND:
The City maintains handrails at 39 locations throughout the city, which are found on bridges, retaining walls, culverts, and bicycle paths. The handrails are composed of various materials such as steel, aluminum, chain link fence, and wood. Additionally, these have various coatings of paint, powder coating, and galvanizing applied. The conditions of the handrails vary from very poor to very good. In 2020, the City started the Handrail Maintenance Program and improved handrails at 11 locations. Three large locations were improved in 2021 and two large locations were improved in 2022.
The handrail maintenance industry is a small and very specialized field. Many contractors know how to install new handrails, however there are only a limited number of contractors that know how to properly repair and paint handrails due to special paint processes and environmental safety factors required. The correct paint method/application ensures that the handrail won't prematurely rust and will last for at least two decades. Further, knowing how to safely sandblast, repair, remove, and handle handrails located in highly sensitive areas such as bridges and culverts without negatively impacting rivers and streams is very important.
In January 2023, the Transportation, Engineering and Development (TED) Business Group issued Bid 23-020, Bridge and Retaining Wall Railing Maintenance, to improve the handrails at five locations. These five locations include 103rd Street, Book Road, Washington Street under BNSF, DuPage River Trail under 75th Street, and the Washington Street Pedestrian Tunnel at 75th Street.
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