R2010-20 FOR THE RESTORATION OF MACARTHUR ROAD BRIDGE

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' APPENDIX A Background In 2004 The Illinois Department of Transportation notified governmental entities throughout the State that problems had been detected in precast deck beam bridges. These bridges are strengthened with cables that have been placed under tension within the concrete beams in order to provide support for the structure. It had been found in other areas of the State that the tensioned cables within these bridges can deteriorate to the point of failure while showing few outward signs. At the . time, IDOT advised an in-depth inspection of these bridges. Engineers with Chastain completed a review of the City's 5 precast deck beam bridges in 2004 and determined a need to replace the MacArthur/ Stevens Creek bridge deck at a future date. In April, 2007, the City requested Chastain to update the structure review prior to a contract for design. The follow-up inspection by Chastain and the Illinois Department of Transportation(IDOT) indicated � the need to replace the entire bridge (i.e. deck, superstructure, and substructure including footings). Their structural review indicated that the bridge is safe for normal traffic; however, a weight restriction was placed on the bridge in 2007. In a letter issued on October 30, 2009, IDOT required the City to post further weight restrictions on this bridge. Due to the critical nature of the MacArthur/ Stevens Creek Bridge to the area residents for emergency vehicle access, school busses, etc., the City Council, by previous action, determined that • the bridge should be replaced before more significant weight restrictions are placed on it. Public Meetings Held A public meeting was held on September 23, 2008, early in the preliminary design process. A follow-up public meeting was held on September 17, 2009, to present the final design. Construction staging was a major topic for both meetings. The public was informed that the bridge � would be completed half at a time to allow access and Ash Avenue would be closed at MacArthur during the construction to enable safer traffic operation through the work zone. The Decatur Park District also presented its plan to construct a bike path under the bridge and extend it along the north side of Stevens Creek in future years. The future bike trail is accommodated in the bridge replacement design. Project Funding " On April, 14, 2009,the Decatur Urbanized Area Transportation Study(DUATS) allocated $447,408 in American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) funding and $352,592 in Surface Transportation Urban(STU) funding for a total of$800,000 in Federal funds toward the replacement of the MacArthur/ Stevens Creek Bridge. At the time of this action, the estimated construction cost was $1.0 million. As the final design neared completion a more precise cost estimate was prepared projecting the project cost to be just under$1.3 million. On November 10, 2009, the DUATS Technical Committee allocated an additional $240,000 in STU funding for the bridge to bring total Federal funding to $1,040,000. The City Council authorized an allocation of$260,000 in the Motor Fuel Tax Funds to cover the City's 20% match. Page � 4