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The people have spoken - Renovation plans altered on Goddard Bridge project
Friday, August 29, 2003 3:56 PM EDT
Now those same officials have bowed to the people and granted a reprieve for the old rugged bridge that has been the center of controversy for months.
The restoration of Goddard Covered Bridge will be altered from the current contract that calls for dismantling. Although no plans are set, Chief District Engineer for District 9 Jim Rummage said chances are now better that the bridge will remain intact for restoration.
Reports from three covered bridge experts are going to alter the way the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet restores covered bridges across the state.
More talks were held Wednesday in Frankfort to discuss the fate of not only Goddard Covered Bridge but six of the area covered bridges.
Rummage said the cabinet reviewed reports given by Dave Fishetti, Tim Andrews and Arnold Graton, who inspected the bridges earlier this month.
"Goddard and Johnson Creek bridges are now under contract," Rummage said. "We have asked our contractors to revisit their design with these (the experts) recommendations in mind."
Those recommendations include working on the bridges in place instead of taking them down as originally planned. During an inspection of Goddard Covered Bridge, Fishetti told state officials and other contractors that to dismantle the bridge would mean to completely rebuild the Town lattice design. He and the other experts agreed the crisscross design would never go back in place.
Rummage said one of the reports did suggest removing the bottom chord and replacing it with new timber to increase the bridge's support.
The cabinet has also asked its own consultants, Brighton Engineering and HNTB if working on the bridges in place is possible.
"Sometimes experts do dismantling," Rummage said. "We want to do the work the safest way. Safety is a priority for us,"
Intech Contractors Inc. was awarded the contract for Goddard in February, but has been holding off on work at the request of Rummage. The cabinet has now asked Intech and the contractors for Johnson Creek, DL Braughler, to hire one of the experts as a sub-contractor for the project.
As it stands now, both contracts are on hold and may even be pulled, Rummage said. The cabinet has asked both contractors to submit costs to date on the projects.
"We can buy back the contract," Rummage said "Or we can renegotiate the contract with new requirements we have designed."
The cabinet gave the contractors four to six weeks to redesign their contracts, then submit a proposal.
"Once we have that proposal, if we accept it, then we will schedule another public hearing or a series of hearings to discuss this with the public," Rummage said.
The process of hearings, renegotiations and rebidding could take as long as eight months, Rummage said.
A public hearing at Ward Elementary in April brought concern about the restoration to the Transportation Cabinet. Residents voiced their disagreement with the proposed dismantling of Goddard Covered Bridge. Since that time the cabinet has worked with the Kentucky Heritage Council and the regenerated Buffalo Trace Covered Bridge Authority to find a solution to the restoration that is agreeable to everyone.
Contact Danetta Barker at Danetta.Barker@lee.net.
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