Existing bridge on South Gay Street cannot support fire trucks and other heavy vehicles
BY DANIEL SCHMIDT
THE OBSERVER
AUBURN — An aging bridge on South Gay Street near Town Creek Park is too weak for Auburn’s fire trucks to cross. Now, the city is moving to address potential public safety concerns with a multimillion-dollar replacement.
That plan was put into action after the Auburn City Council on Nov. 3 approved a preliminary engineering and construction agreement with the Alabama Department of Transporation with an estimated city share of $747,774. The project is estimated to cost about $3.74 million.
The council also hired Hoover-based Barge Design Solutions to survey the site and design the new bridge for up to $457,103.
“It’s an important project. We need to do the project,” Mayor Ron Anders said. “We’re going to get some money from the federal government, and we’re going to do the best we can do.”
According to documents included as part of the Nov. 3 meeting, the bridge was built in 1965 with an expected lifespan of roughly 75 years.
A scope of work Barge submitted to the city said the bridge rests on wooden piers that are more than 60 years old and its load rating prevents large vehicles, including fire trucks, from crossing.
Replacing only the top of the bridge would raise its load rating but would not make the broader structure last longer. As a result, engineers recommended replacing the entire structure.
Federal money will cover about $2.99 million, or 80%, of the project’s expected cost through the Auburn-Opelika Area Metropolitan Planning Organization. The city will be required to pay the remaining balance, as outlined in the approved agreement with ALDOT.
Ward 5 Council Member Sonny Moreman called the project an “opportunity for us to get our tax dollars back from the federal government.” City Manager Megan McGowen Crouch said local officials get to choose which projects receive the planning organization’s money, and the city directed it to the bridge.
Any costs above the agreed amount will fall to the city unless the planning organization adds more federal money. The city will also pay the full cost of buying any needed land and moving utilities.
“In reality, when we go to get the work quoted, plus we also have design and other things that go into it, those two things may not match,” Crouch said. “So therefore, the city’s responsible for the overage of that, and it is what it is.”
City Engineer Michael Griffin said the same rule applies to construction: if the cost exceeds the state’s estimate, the city pays the difference. Savings in one category also cannot be shifted to cover another.
Crouch said staff anticipated the gap when setting the project budget. “We budgeted accordingly, and we have this covered from a budgetary perspective,” she said.
The council also approved a contingency of about $45,700 in addition to Barge’s design fee. The biggest piece of that contract, roughly $158,000, covers the bridge plans.
The city asked Barge to study ways to build the new bridge while keeping traffic moving, as well as options that would close the road for a limited time.
The design could also include an underpass for the trail along Town Creek, which now crosses South Gay Street at road level. The underpass would include lighting, wiring for security cameras and wayfinding signs. If federal money is unable to cover the costs associated with the underpass, the city would pay for it.
Construction is expected to begin more than a year from now. Surveying is set to begin this month, followed by environmental review, soil testing and design work through much of 2027.
The city plans to acquire any needed land in spring and summer 2027 and seek construction bids in December 2027, with work continuing into 2028. The agreement still requires either Gov. Kay Ivey’s or Gov.-elect Tommy Tuberville’s signature, and no work can begin until ALDOT gives written approval.
In other business, the council:
- Reappointed Anne Randle and Alice Buchanan and appointed Bob Parker to the Tree Commission. Their terms begin Nov. 8 and end Nov. 7, 2029.
- Appointed Debbie Bagwell to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. Her term begins Dec. 1 and ends Nov. 30, 2030.
- Agreed to consider a resolution at its Nov. 17 meeting naming the city’s public safety training center after Capt. Roger Brookshire, one of the city’s first paramedics who was electrocuted to death while performing CPR on a college student on Jan. 23, 1977.
- Announced a vacancy on the Public Park and Recreation Board. The term begins Dec. 16 and ends Dec. 15, 2032.
- Waived residential trash collection fees and designated March 1-26, 2027, as Trash Amnesty 2027.
- Approved a $41,955 contract with Dyna-Lift for a 2026 UniCarriers TX30M forklift. The compact forklift will be used to manage parts in the Fleet Services Division.
- Approved renewing the city’s OnBase software subscription with Hyland Software for $105,464 for one year.
- Approved Amendment No. 1 to its infrastructure development agreement with Jolly Development for The Foundry at North College. Under the change, the developer will build Yarbrough Farms Boulevard, and the city will reimburse it for half of the shared costs.
- Approved a $34,853 contract with McSweeney Auto Group for a 2027 Chevrolet Colorado four-wheel-drive crew cab truck for the Public Works Department. The truck will go to the Operations and Facilities Division manager, a position that currently has no dedicated vehicle.
- Approved a $150,414 contract with Thompson Tractor Company for a 2026 Cat 420 backhoe with attachments for the Public Works Department.
- Approved buying 1,248 roll-out garbage carts (96-gallon) from Toter LLC for $89,706 to replace damaged carts and serve new homes.
- Approved buying 1,248 roll-out recycling carts (96-gallon) from Toter LLC for $97,705. The Alabama Department of Environmental Management will reimburse the city for the purchase through a state recycling grant.
- Approved an ordinance establishing a four-way stop at the intersection of Hemlock Drive and West Glenn Avenue due to concerns about limited sight distance on Hemlock Drive.
- Extended a conditional use approval for Phase 4 of Shelton Mill, a planned 102-unit development at 580 Shelton Mill Road, for six months. The approval was set to expire Nov. 20.
- Approved a $43,125 amendment to a contract with Hazen and Sawyer for Phase II of the Town Creek Sewer Basin Sanitary Sewer Evaluation Survey. The amendment adds video inspections of about 115 sewer service lines to find where stormwater is getting into the sewer system south of Samford Avenue and north of Town Creek Park. The original contract was $248,000.
- Approved a $358,109 contract with Sanson Equipment Company for a 2027 Elgin RegenX street sweeper for the Public Works Department.
- Approved a real estate exchange agreement with Adair Development Group. The city will trade its 61-acre Society Hill Park property for about 134 acres on West Farmville Road near Bud Black Road. Crouch said the city will not complete the swap if appraisals during a 45-day review period don’t confirm the deal’s value.
- Postponed a vote on purchasing a $159,198 pothole patching truck from Southland Transportation Group due to confusion over the pricing. The item will be considered at the Nov. 17 meeting.
- Postponed appointments to the Building Board of Adjustments and Appeals until its Nov. 17 meeting after some applicants did not meet the board’s specific qualifications. The city will reopen applications.
