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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Monica Menke-Watts, Dir. of
Communications (513) 942-4700 Release Date: March 24, 1998
CONSTRUCTION BIDS FOR BUTLER REGIONAL HIGHWAY OPENED; TID SETS DATE FOR GROUNDBREAKING FAIRFIELD--April 24, 1998-- Construction bids for the Butler Regional Highway were opened at the Ohio Department of Transportation in Columbus at 10 a.m. this morning. The Highway is designed in three sections, and bids were accepted for the individual sections and for the combination of the three sections totaling 10.7 miles of Highway. Kokosing Construction Company Inc., based in Columbus, submitted the apparent lowest bid for construction of the total Highway: $92,761,970.34. The Ohio Department of Transportation Estimate was $100,000,000.00. "We did not just beat the estimate; this is a terrific price for a Highway of this size to be built in 1998. Cross County Highwayâs construction averaged to $9.6 million per mile. The Butler Regional construction costs will be $8.6 million per mile," said Darrell Barger, TID Director. The lowest combination of the three individual section bids totaled $93.1 million, over $400,000 more than the lowest total bid from Kokosing. "This demonstrates the savings and great advantage to having a single contract instead of constructing the three sections separately," said Mike Samoviski, TID Board Vice Chair. "I think this illustrates the exceptional communication program the TID implemented to keep contractors informed on the project. Both the lowest total project bid and the three individual section bids significantly beat the estimate because contractors were so familiar with the project." The Ohio Department of Transportation will evaluate the bids for the TID. This process may take up to ten days. Following their evaluation, the ODOT will make a recommendation for awarding the contract to the TID Board, and the contract will be awarded the first week of May. The TID has scheduled the ground-breaking ceremony for Friday, May 15th, at 11 a.m. "We expect to be mobilized within two weeks of awarding the contract," said Dan Compston, Senior Vice President of Kokosing. The ground-breaking will be held in the Highwayâs right-of-way along High Street in Hamilton. The public is invited to attend. "The ground-breaking will be a victory celebration for the people of Butler County," said Mike Fox, Butler County Commission and TID Board Chair. "Beginning construction of this Highway means four things to Butler County families: 1) there will be increased access to an increased number of jobs; 2) Hamilton will have a rebirth of economic development opportunities; 3) the motoring public will notice a significant improvement in convenience and safety; and 4) because we are out in front of the development curve, building the Highway now will enable communities to plan and control development in a way that is beneficial to our schools and communities. In short, this will improve the overall quality of life in Butler County." The creation of the TID in 1994 was underscored by a call for more efficiency, innovation, economy and expediency in designing, financing, and constructing the Butler Regional Highway. Since its inception, the TID also has undertaken planning and facilitation of projects including the new Union Centre Interchange; the widening and extension of Muhlhauser Road; the Symmes Road Extension; and improvements to SR 747. -30-
TID Construction Bids Opened Page 3
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Section 3
Aggregate Bid--Total 10.7 Miles LOWEST COMBINATION OF THREE SECTIONS BID SEPARATELY: $93,188,897 LOWEST BID FOR AGGREGATE THREE SECTIONS BID TOGETHER: $92,761,970* For more information, please contact Monica Menke-Watts, TID Director of Communications, 513-942-4700. -30-
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