Story - The Meade County Messenger


Vol. 115, No. 33	August 13, 2008

Riverport road bid set for September

By LARRY SEE JR.
Messenger Staff

Despite an expected $500,000 funding shortfall, bids for the proposed access road to the Riverport are still scheduled for a September letting.

Riverport consultant Mike Flint, during the Authority’s Aug. 5 meeting, said the final documents were sent to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s procurement office for the necessary bid-letting process.

“They are going to finish up all of the construction documents and will be letting out the bids in mid-September,” he said.

KyTC District Four spokesperson Becky Judson said earlier the bid delay was due in part to the fact the authority didn’t have the remaining funds to complete the project.

Due to the increasing cost of fuel and asphalt, the construction cost shifted between $1.85 and $1.9 million.

The additional funds are needed to obtain the right of way and move utilities.

“We still might have some funds left from the state Community Economic Growth Grant,” Flint said, adding those funds would be used for the final bills for engineering work, which have yet to be submitted.

During an earlier meeting, Flint said state officials were getting anxious about the CEGG grant dispursal, having already extended it once.

The CEGG program’s goal is to provide flexible funding for economic growth and viability of communities within the commonwealth.

Some project costs have come in less than expected, Flint said, indicating there might be some funds left over.

Flint said District Four hasn’t completed any construction projects this year, so it was hard to determine what the exact costs would be.

“We are just going to have to wait and see,” he said. “Once the bid closes we are going to have to wait and see how large the gap will be.”.

Flint said in two to three weeks he expected to have final bills from the Cabinet, at which time he can close out the CEGG grant.

In a related matter, Flint said the price might decrease somewhat due to an initiative announced recently by Gov. Steve Beshear designed to reduce highway construction costs while stretching limited funds.

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