BIRMINGHAM, MI, November 8, 2017– The City of Birmingham has begun advertising for a Request for Proposal (RFP) for its planned 2018 reconstruction of Old Woodward Avenue between Brown and Oakland streets in the city’s downtown core.
The City is anticipating opening bids in December and is tentatively targeting January of 2018 to make a final recommendation on a contractor to the Birmingham City Commission. It is anticipated a contractor could start construction in the spring with an anticipated completion date of late summer.
“This is an ideal time of year to bid a project of this nature prior to the wave of construction industry bidding next January and February,” said Birmingham City Engineer Paul O’Meara. “We anticipate high interest in the contracting community to take on a job of this size and scope.”
The 2018 Old Woodward Reconstruction Project will result in significant improvements to below ground and above ground infrastructure on the city’s main downtown artery. Anticipated underground improvements include:
In addition to the overdue underground improvements, the public will experience an array of above ground enhancements on Old Woodward. Among them are:
The RFP itself is peppered with incentives and penalties to bidding contractors, intended to help secure a contractor that will complete the project as fast as possible.
“The infrastructure in our downtown is among the oldest in the city,” said O’Meara, noting that some of the pipes date back to the late 1800’s. “We recognize that this project will be painful in the short-term with the temporary construction disruptions, however, we believe that this necessary work will result in a better downtown core in the long run.”
More information on the 2018 Old Woodward Reconstruction Project as well as future phases of the project can be found on the City’s website at:
http://www.bhamgov.org/government/departments/engineering/old_woodward_reconstruction.php