Third and Main Streets sidewalk replacement

For more than a year, Gainesville city has been in the process of attempting to repair a section of sidewalk that stretches down Third Street from Smokin’ Joes BBQ around the corner at Shelter Insurance - Douglas Hawkins agency and onto Main Street in front of Mill Country Title. Although the sidewalk is in disrepair, the project is mostly needed to help properly channel storm water from the city streets.

In its current state, the drainage system in that area is not big enough for the water that collects, which drains down from Third Street, Fourth Street and Leeton Luna Lane to an area near the corner of Third Street. The water is then backing up into buildings there and causing water damage at those businesses. 

Last year, Toth and Associates engineering firm, drew up plans at the city’s request to replace and repair the sidewalk to include adequate drainage. They estimated the job at $200,000; however, the project was set out for bids recently, and only one bid was received.

 Joe’s Bridge of Poplar Bluff, a company that is currently handling bank stabilization at Lick Creek for the city, bid the job at $323,305, about 40 percent higher than the engineering firm estimated. City Clerk Lisa Goodnight said that the difference between the bid and estimate is likely due to an increase in fuel and materials. 

The bid also included an “alternate bid,” which would include replacing the sloped sidewalk all the way to the sidewalk’s end at the corner of Main and Second Streets. The sidewalk would be replaced with an ADA-compliant design, something it currently lacks. To add that section, the “bid alternate” as they refer to it, Joe’s Bridge bid an additional $29,970 to the original bid for a total of $353,275. 

Goodnight said there were four companies that were originally going to bid. One company backed out early on, and three other companies said the project would not cost enough to justify bringing their equipment to Gainesville with the current high fuel costs. She said this is the second time the project has been put out to bid. 

Goodnight reminded the council members that the city does still have $146,759 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that could be used for the project, which would lower the out-of-pocket cost for the city to $176,648 for the Third Street replacement and $206,618 for both the Third Street and Main Street replacement.  

The council accepted Joe’s Bridge’s bid of the Third Street project and the bid alternate to complete the sidewalk down Main Street. The vote was 4 to 1, with Ken Crawford voting no.