The Finlayson Island walking bridge will see some major repairs this year. (File photo/battlefordsNOW staff)

By Angela Brown

Tenders received

Town awards contract for Finlayson Island bridge upgrades

Apr 19, 2022 | 1:52 PM

The Town of Battleford will proceed with work to rehabilitate the North Saskatchewan River Truss Bridge that leads to Finlayson Island this year as planned.

The project will involve repairing the north pedestrian bridge and the associated work needed.

Council voted unanimously to award the contract for the project to Hipperson Construction Company, as recommended by the town’s project manager Associated Engineering.

While the town received many bids, this firm and Saskcon Repair Services Ltd. were the only two that met all the criteria and expectations for the project, town CAO Ash Alam said in his report.

Both companies have experience completing bridge repairs.

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Hipperson Construction Company had the lowest bid of $3,267,009, while Saskcon Repair Services Ltd.’s bid was $3,927,500 in comparison.

Alam also noted Hipperson Construction Company came out on top for timelines proposed.

The total budgeted amount for the project is estimated at about $3.67 million. From that amount, the town will cover $1.1 million for its share. The Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) will cover the remaining $2.5 million, through federal and provincial funding.

The actual project cost is estimated at $3,066,992, plus $395,531 for engineering costs, as well as PST of $ 207,751, for a total cost of $3,670,276.

Alam said the work on the project will start in May of 2022.

However, he said the timeline could be delayed up to next year if everything does not go as planned, for example if the weather causes setbacks. But the work is currently projected to finish this year.

Council was happy to see the the project get started.

Mayor Ames Leslie wants to ensure everything stays within budget, as best as possible.

“Now that we passed this tender, [the federal government and the province] will not pay more than their 73 per cent of what this amount will be,” he said. “So if there are overruns, the town is on the hook for those overruns completely. So let’s make sure nothing goes wrong, and our contractors are staying within the budget, as much as we can.”

Deputy Mayor Judy Pruden, chairing the meeting as Leslie participated virtually, said she is glad to see the work proceed, adding that the town has been discussing the need for these upgrades for probably about the last six years.

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow