The Crossville City Council Tuesday awarded a bid for a project to install an estimated 1,900 feet of greenway at Centennial Park.
City Engineer Tim Begley said the planned greenway will begin at the pickleball courts, follow the Little Obed River, and extend to the other side of a new 70-foot-long bridge. The council approved the lowest bid for the project at $960,000, though Begley noted the amount is roughly $330,000 over budget.
“That’s the ending point of this project,” Begley said. “There’s not really anywhere to cut it off. We have already ordered the bridge. We have got a down payment of $50,000 on the bridge, and we still will owe a payment of around $25,000 on the bridge.”
Begley said the proposed greenway near the pickleball courts will be the most expensive portion of the project. Begley said the city’s Community Development Block Grant could not cover the exceeded cost.
“Our original budget was with just that grant worked out to be around 28 grand [grant match],” Begley said. “And with the three-star grant, the bridge, all the engineering and everything, the city’s local match is more like 44 percent at this point, if we move forward, with the grant being 56 percent.”
Begley said the bridge is currently being fabricated and should arrive for installation in May. Begley laid out some additions that the contractor is responsible for.
“The contractor will install the bridge and build the two abutments and two concrete pads along the end of the bridge,” Begley said. “Along with that, there’s a lot of concrete work at the end of the culvert under Industrial Boulevard. The stream that comes down through the park goes under Industrial, and we are actually crossing over that existing culvert, and it will require a large headwall.”
Begley said if the project runs into unsuitable soils, it could cost the city some more money. The council approved a budget resolution to the amount of $365,000. Begley said the extra $35,000 is due to the city not carrying enough funds from the previous year for engineering services.
Begley said the project must be completed by June 30. Begley said any work completed after the deadline will not be covered by the grant.