According to project manager and Associate Civil Engineer Mark Davis engineering plans have been received and preparations on contract specifications for advertising are in the works. Mark anticipates the advertising to take three weeks, contract award to take three to six weeks, fabrication to take eight to twelve weeks, and installation to take six to eight weeks. There may be some time added for collaboration with Tuolumne County before construction.
"Bridge repairs are not simple. The County is ever vigilant with codes, and safety which affects schedules and costs." The repair is not a simple one, it includes a redesign of the guardrail system so if in the future a vehicle hits the guardrail it will not "strike a weakened one."
The cost of the repair is anticipated to be covered by the equipments operators insurance.
I am not clear on the repairs that are being discussed in this article. How do the two counties divide the repair responsibility for the O'Byrnes bridge? My understanding is the county line splits the bridge midspan. If the guardrail that was damaged during the big rig accident on the south end of the bridge is the repair . . . then shouldn't that be Tuolumne County's repair? Or is there a repair being made to the Calaveras end of the bridge?
ReplyDeleteMike Shevlin
Dear Mike,
ReplyDeleteAccording to Supervisor Spellman in a previous interview he stated that there is an agreement in place with Tuolumne County regarding the repairs of bridges, if Calaveras will hold responsibility for the O'Byrnes Ferry Bridge, Tuolumne will hold responsibility for the Parrott's Ferry bridge. This has yet to be verified through other channels.
Again, repair costs are to be absorbed by the driver of the vehicle. At this time there is no anticipated cost to the county. Anticipated is the key word.
It is important to note that the repairs are significantly more extensive than a guardrail, both Spellman and the project manager state that the repairs are also structural.
Thank you for your pertinent questions.