Winter Haven commissioners are poised to award a $2.04 million contract for improvements to Roosevelt Drive that will add sidewalks, replace aging water and sewer lines and extend the roadway to Register Road.
The City Commission is scheduled to vote Monday on awarding the contract to Ajax Paving Industries of Florida for the Roosevelt Drive Complete Street Project, which runs from Cypress Gardens Boulevard to Register Road. The project is supported by a $1.21 million grant from the Florida Department of Transportation through the state’s Local Agency Program.
The project will extend Roosevelt Drive to connect with Register Road, add pedestrian facilities where none currently exist and install curbs, gutters and rain gardens designed to improve stormwater management. Crews will also resurface the roadway as part of the improvements.
The utility portion of the project includes replacement of an existing asbestos-cement sewer force main and potable water main. City officials said combining the roadway and utility work into a single construction project will reduce future disruptions and eliminate the need to reopen newly improved roadways for underground infrastructure work.
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The roadway portion of the project is valued at about $1.22 million, while utility improvements account for another $824,072 of the total contract value.
Ajax’s bid was not the lowest submitted. The project attracted eight bidders, but city staff determined that three lower-priced proposals failed to meet bid requirements. The city cited issues that included missing documents, missing FDOT certifications and unsatisfactory prior construction evaluations.
After those disqualifications, Ajax was determined to be the lowest responsive and responsible bidder. The city received no bid protests after posting its recommendation of award.
If approved by commissioners and granted final authorization by FDOT, construction could begin in late June. Ajax will have 275 calendar days to complete the project after receiving a notice to proceed.
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