Medina awaiting recommendation from engineer before awarding bid for pedestrian bridge

Photo by Tom Rivers: A pedestrian bridge is planned to be built across the Oak Orchard Creek along Maple Ridge Road (Route 31A) in Medina. This area also will get about 2,000 feet of new sidewalks.

MEDINA – The Medina Village Board hasn’t approved the bid for a pedestrian bridge and sidewalks along Maple Ridge Road because it is awaiting a recommendation from the engineer on the project.

Four construction companies submitted bids for the project. The apparent low bidder, however, isn’t on the state registry for contractors. That is requiring more background work and research from the engineering firm, Barton & Loguidice. The registry verifies that contractors and subcontractors are in compliance with labor laws, including prevailing wage requirements.

Four bids for the project were opened on Feb. 18 and include: $837,448 by RJT Construction Services in Rochester, $943,088 by Keeler Construction in Barre, $977,000 by Rochester Earth Inc. in Churchville, and $1,058,485 by C.P. Ward in Scottsville.

The new bridge and sidewalks have been several years in the waiting. The village in 2021 was awarded a $1,094,196 grant to construct the bridge and sidewalks as part of a multi-use path for pedestrians and bicycles. The funding was awarded by the state through a federal Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant.

That is covering 80 percent of the project. The remaining 20 percent will be paid locally from the village ($55,000), Town of Shelby ($130,000) and Orleans County ($97,500). The money comes from a revolving loan fund that was administered by the Orleans Economic Development Agency. The state in 2019 required funds be ended with the money staying in the community for projects if they are for handicapped accessible initiatives or if they assist a neighborhood that is predominantly low-income.

The section of Maple Ridge Road by the creek has become busier with a housing development, several new businesses and also the GCC campus center. There are also about 200 available acres in the area being promoted for development by the EDA.