GF: 32nd Avenue project in doubt

Plans to resurface a large stretch of 32nd Avenue South in Grand Forks may have hit a bump in the road.

The Grand Forks council was informed last night that bids on the project came in 173% over engineer estimates. That pushes the work stretching from I-29 to South Washington from $1.6 million dollars to over $4.4 million.

Assistant City Engineer David Kuharenko says the staff recommendation is to move forward with the project despite the high cost – but the North Dakota DOT may have other plans since they are paying for the bulk of the bill.  That could include rebidding the asphalt portion in June.  The concrete portion would wait until next year.

The city’s portion of the project is now estimated at $568,671 dollars.  Mayor Brandon Bochenski says it’s a tough number to see but it’s an important project.

The council recommended moving forward with the project on a 4-2 vote. The North Dakota DOT will have the final say over the bid process.