HAVERHILL — When a new bridge is built over the Merrimack River between Groveland and Haverhill, the cost may end up being well below original estimates.
The state Department of Transportation estimated the new bridge would cost $65.2 million, according to spokesman Adam Hurtubise.
But when the bids were opened Dec. 8, all seven of the contractors that vied for the project submitted proposals that were far less than that amount, Hurtubise said.
Cianbro Corp. of Pittsfield, Maine, submitted the lowest bid at $45.2 million. The highest of the seven bidders was Barletta Heavy Division Inc of Canton which submitted a bid of $57.1 million
Hurtubise said the state will select the "lowest responsible bidder." He said he thinks the state will "soon" select a contractor for the job, but he declined to be specific.
"It's not a short process," said Anthony Komornick, transportation program coordinator for the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission, who has been keeping an eye on the effort to replace the span, officially known as the Congressman William Bates Bridge.
Komornick said he expects that a year from now construction will have started on the new structure.
The Bates Bridge, which carries Routes 97 and 113 over the Merrimack, is a vital link in the area's transportation system.
The new bridge will be built on the downriver side of the current span, Komornick said, so the impact on Route 97 traffic "won't be significant," he said.
The current bridge, nearly a century old, will remain open during the construction of the replacement span.
Construction of the new bridge will take two to three years, Komornick said.
When it's completed, "it will slightly improve traffic flow," he said.
At present, cars headed north on Route 97 veer to the left when they approach the bridge, Komornick pointed out. When the new bridge is built, this leftward twist will not be as pronounced, he said.
The current bridge will be dismantled once the replacement is built.
Area drivers are fortunate that the Bates Bridge will continue to function during the construction, Komornick said. Diverting Route 97 traffic to the Basiliere or Comeau bridges would create a nightmare, he said.
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WHO BID ON THE BRIDGE PROJECT
Cianbro Corp., Pittsfield, Maine, $45.2 million
J.F. White, Framingham, $46.5 million
SPS New England Inc., Salisbury, $47.6 million
Jay Cashman Inc., Quincy, $48.9 million
Middlesex Corp., Littleton, $49.3 million
Walsh Construction, Chicago, $49.4 million
Barletta Heavy Division Inc., Canton, $57.1 million
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