Little bridge draws big interest in hungry construction market

A little bridge on Big Alkali Road became the focal point of hungry construction firms recently.

Eleven contractors submitted bids to Whitman County on a job to replace the charred Aune Bridge over Alkali Flat Creek. Award of the job went to Harry Johnson Plumbing and Excavating, Walla Walla, on a low bid of $502,226.

Public Works Director Mark Storey said the late-season bid attracted a lot of contractors who are in search of projects to keep their employees on the job.

“I think you’re looking at a number of factors,” he said. “We put this bid out late in the season, and the economy is still tough for these guys.”

Four of the bids were from firms that regularly work on bridge replacement projects in Oregon.

Under the direction of a voter-approved state initiative, said Storey, Oregon went heavy replacing bridges over the past few years. That program wrapped up this summer, leaving many contractors from the Beaver state looking for work.

“I think everyone’s hungry for work,” said a representative of the D.L. Edmondson firm of Summerville, Ore. “We’re just trying to get a job to keep our guys on.”

Storey said the concern with the highly competitive bid market is that the successful bidder subsequently submits a flurry of change orders that inflate the price of construction during the rebuild.

Harry Johnson has built a number of the county’s bridges over recent years, and has submitted only a few change orders, he said.

The Aune bridge was bid later in the year because it was charred by a ditch fire earlier this spring. It was on the county’s replacement schedule for next year, but the fire accelerated the time frame.

The existing bridge is a 65-foot wooden structure. Since the fire, loads limits have been posted for the bridge.

County designs call for replacement of the wooden span with a single span with pre-stressed concrete girders. The new bridge will also be elevated about three and a half feet to get it out of the flood plain.

Engineer’s estimated cost of the job was $703,558.75.

Submitting bids higher than Harry Johnson’s $502,226 were Conway Construction, Richfield, Wash., $645,562; Westway Construction, Airway Heights, $553,619; HLT Construction, Ephrata, $572,014; N.A. Degerstrom, Spokane, $575,497; M.L. Albright, Lewiston, $555,455; McAlvain Construction, Boise, $699,424; D.L. Edmonson, Summerville, Ore., $638,236; A&R Construction, Lewiston, $536,787; William Charles West, Kennewick, $512,744 and Harcon Inc., Spokane, $651,722.