Crestwood aldermen last week approved construction and engineering contracts for the reconstruction of the Pardee Road Bridge over Gravois Creek.

The Board of Aldermen voted to approve two ordinances to complete the bridge’s reconstruction at a cost not to exceed $857,731.30

City Administrator Jim Eckrich noted that this authorized expenditure “is substantially below” the project’s original budgeted amount of $1,381,500.

Besides the budget savings, the city will be on the hook for only 20 percent — or $171,546.24 — of the approved project cost of $857,731.30. The other 80 percent of the project cost will be funded from a grant by the Federal Highway Administration through the Missouri Department of Transportation.

The board first voted to approve a contract with Gershenson Contracting totaling $760,821.71. That ordinance also authorized Director of Public Works Dzenana Mruckovski to approve change orders not to exceed $76,082.

Aldermen also voted to approve a contract with SCI Engineering Inc. totaling $18,934.59. The ordinance also authorizes Mruckovski to approve change orders not to exceed $1,893.

“The scope of the project includes the complete abatement of the existing bridge, including the abutments and the adjacent roadway,” according to a memo from Mruckovski to Eckrich. “Due to the nature of a construction project this size, public-works staff anticipates change orders will be necessary. Accordingly, public-works staff is requesting that the mayor and Board of Aldermen authorize the director of public works to approve change orders for this project in an amount not to exceed $76,082 — 10 percent of the bid amount. Throughout the project, public-works staff will work to minimize the cost of any change orders required.

“Due to the federal funding associated with this project, it will be necessary to conduct material testing in accordance with MoDOT requirements. This testing will include aggregate compaction, concrete cylinders, asphalt density, drilled pier inspection, etc. In 2007, the public-works staff used a request for qualifications — RFQ — to select SCI Engineering as the material-testing company for the Grant Road reconstruction project. Since SCI Engineering performed exceptionally well on the Grant Road reconstruction, including completing all required work within budget, the public-works staff felt it was appropriate to proceed into material-testing fee negotiations with SCI Engineering for the Pardee Road Bridge project. The public-works staff negotiated a material-testing services fee not to exceed $18,934.59. The staff will work with SCI Engineering throughout the project to ensure that all city specifications and MoDOT requirements are met.”

Mruckovski also wrote that the city originally received eight bids.

While XL Contracting Inc. was the apparent low bid at $719,906, the company’s bid was rejected because it was not on a MoDOT-approved contract’s list seven days before the bid opening.

“Because XL Contracting was not on MoDOT’s approved contractor’s list seven days prior to the bid opening, MoDOT and the city rejected the bid from XL Contracting,” Mruckovski wrote. “The Local Public Agency Manual clearly indicates that if the bidder is not on MoDOT’s approved bidder’s list seven days prior to the bid opening, the bidder cannot be awarded the project. Therefore, the city of Crestwood’s re-quest to concur with the second low bidder, Gershenson Construction, was approved by MoDOT. Gershenson Construction has an excellent reputation regarding bridge-replacement projects in the St. Louis area and their bid is still 32 percent below the engineer’s estimate.”

Eckrich also told aldermen last week that XL Contracting had never completed such a bridge-replacement project.

“This company who was the apparent low bidder has never done a bridge project of this nature,” he said. “I think that’s one of the reasons that MoDOT has the requirement. They want to make sure that people on the bidders list are capable of doing these types of projects. XL Contracting has never done this type of project before.”

Eckrich added that Gershenson Construction completed the repaving of City Hall’s parking lot while Mruckovski noted Gershenson also completed work on the Jefferson Avenue Bridge over Highway 40.

“I checked their references … and that’s a substantial bridge that’s a lot bigger than ours,” Mruckovski said. “And they actually finished ahead of schedule.”

Gershenson’s contract with the city states the project will be finished in 189 days from the start of construction.