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DOT Awards Contract For I-75 Bridges In Pasco

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By KEVIN WIATROWSKI | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 3, 2008

WESLEY CHAPEL - The Department of Transportation has accepted a bid of $32 million to rebuild the bridges carrying Interstate 75 over County Road 54 in the heart of this fast-growing community.

The Lane Construction Corp. was low bidder on the project, according to DOT spokeswoman Kris Carson.

Work will begin early next year and could take 18 months, barring weather-related delays, Carson said.

The DOT will offer Lane a $2.75 million incentive to to finish on or before the deadline. Delays could cost the company in terms of penalties.

Lane is repaving State Road 52-Meridian Avenue in Dade City and recently won a bid to repave U.S. 41 from Gowers Corner to the Hernando County line.

Lane beat out 10 bidders for the project.

The overpass replacement is an example of how DOT is benefitting from the collapse of the housing market in Pasco and beyond.

"This is a good time to build roads," said DOT spokeswoman Kris Carson. "We are seeing more competition, which helps us get a better price for the project. And the bids are coming in lower than our estimates. It is very encouraging."

At the peak of the housing boom, transportation officials were lucky to get more than one or two bids on road projects as builders flocked to new subdivisions and commercial projects. That, combined with rising prices for building materials, drove up the cost of road work.

Building materials still are costly -- thanks to demand from China. Most of the discounts in road projects have come from reduced labor costs, said Bob Clifford, planning director for DOT's Tampa office.

Reporter Kevin Wiatrowski can be reached at (813) 948-4201 or kwiatrowski@tampatrib.com.

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