ACCO and CED #5 2009 Stimulus Project Fund
Association of County Commissioners District 5 (ACCO #5) met at the Circuit Engineering District #5 (CED#5) Board Room on February 17, 2009 to review and decide how to use its allocated $2,363,634 Stimulus Funds. These funds are to be used for “shovel ready” projects within the 7 Circuit Engineering District member counties of Payne, Logan, Oklahoma, Cleveland, McClain, Murray, and Garvin.
County Commissioners within the member counties had 10 “shovel ready” bridge projects without funding to let out for bid to contractors, 1 project in Payne, 3 in Logan, 2 in Oklahoma, 2 in Garvin, and 2 in Murray. These bridges had clearance from the state as “shovel ready” for construction bids in 2007 and 2008. Oklahoma County had previous funds allocated to their projects so the remaining 8 projects were considered for stimulus funding.
ODOT instructed any unforeseen construction overages and the cost of construction inspections would not be covered which averages about 6% of total cost of the bridge would have to be covered by other funds; therefore, each County Commissioner had to consider if he/she had other funds available to cover the amounts. County bridge projects generally cost from $400,000 to $3,500,000 to construct so a limited amount of bridges would receive stimulus funds.
The County Commissioners elected to prioritize the projects in the order the projects had received clearance from the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) and the availability of other funds to cover the 6% construction inspection costs and possible overages.
The 1st bridge selected as priority was over Guy Sandy Creek, 7.6 miles north and .7 mile west of Sulphur in Murray County, second was a bridge on EW-81, over Blue Creek, 4.2 miles west of Meridian in Logan County, next was the bridge over Clear Creek, 1.9 miles east & 7 miles south of the I-35/SH-51 Junction in Payne County and the final selection could only be partially funded is a bridge located over an unnamed creek, 3.5 miles north of SH-7 in Garvin County. There were not enough funds remaining to fund the 2 Logan, 1 Garvin and 1 Murray Co bridges remaining.
The stimulus project bids were opened by the ODOT on April 23, 2009. The bids came in less than estimated leaving enough funds to fully fund the bridges over the unnamed creek in Garvin County, and a bridge over Eight Mile Creek, 1.6 south of Hennepin in Murray County plus partially funding a bridge over Coon Creek, 1 mile west, and 7.3 south of Meridian in Logan County.
Six bridges will be completed by County Commissioners within District #5 with assistance from stimulus funds this year.