ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A long-delayed bridge replacement project in St. Petersburg’s Tanglewood neighborhood could take a step toward progress in the coming weeks.
For many months it’s been the same story at the 70+ year-old bridge. The one way in and out of the neighborhood has been down to one lane, frustrating neighbors who haven’t seen any progress on the project that was supposed to be completed last December.
“Everyone is frustrated. You can talk to anyone on the island and they'll tell you the same thing. They're very frustrated,” Kathy Wiggins, a Tanglewood resident, said. “No one is actively working on the bridge. It hasn't been worked on since last year.”
RELATED: St. Pete leaders 'putting pressure' on surety company to complete long-delayed bridge replacement
The bridge is one of several bridge replacement jobs facing significant delays in Pinellas County, all were under the same contractor, American Empire Builders. AEB has been cited and fined several times, and earlier this year defaulted on the job.
10 Tampa Bay last reported on the Tanglewood project in March, when the city of St. Petersburg was working with the bond surety company to get a new contractor in line to finish what’s left of the $3.6 million job.
RELATED: St. Pete neighbors call for more transparency over 'frustrating' bridge construction delays
“I couldn't tell you where it stands. So they're going to exercise the insurance bond on it, what does that mean? And what does that entail? What is the new contract coming in? I mean, it’s [been] literally months and months with zero activity,” Tanglewood resident Mike Finster said.
Now some of those questions are being answered. In a neighborhood update from city Council Member Ed Montanari, he says the surety is expecting two contractors to submit bids on the project by the end of the week.
He adds it’s the fourth part of a 6-step process for the surety company to get the project back online. The next step would be for the insurer to select a bid, draw up a take-over contract, sign it and then work can be resumed:
"In the event of contractor default, the Surety must step in to guarantee performance by opening up a bid process to take over the contract. The overall process includes:
- Bid Solicitation - the Surety places a solicitation inviting qualified contractors to take over the contract. The Surety must hire a qualified consultant to create the solicitation. For the Tanglewood Bridge, the consultant is an engineering firm, Vertex.
- Request for Information - contractors may request clarification on specifications or other items from the solicitation. This may lead to some back and forth between a potential bidder, the Surety and/or consultant.
- Bid submission - contractors then formally submit their bids to the Surety. Their submissions generally include estimated price, estimated time to complete work, and pertinent information about the contractor related to their ability to perform the job.
- Bid selection - the Surety must review and evaluate bids and choose a contractor.
- Contract formation - the Surety will draw up a contract. For the Tanglewood Bridge, this will most likely be a take-over contract with adjustments as to the work performed and current conditions.
- Project delivery - once a new contract is signed and in effect, the new contractor may commence activities. “
RELATED: Several bridge projects in Pinellas County have uncertain future as contractor faces scrutiny
Many residents have also noticed another crane dropped off at the site. Montanari writes the second crane will take down the larger AEB crane that has sat stagnant on the site for several months. That process is expected to occur over the next week as well, weather permitting.
With no exact timeline on when work will officially resume, it’s ultimately up for the surety to contractually follow through.
Montanari writes, “I have sent a formal letter to the Surety conveying the need for a contractor to expeditiously commence work to complete this bridge.”
The city says the bridge remains structurally sound, and a third-party inspector has been performing routine inspections on the site.