CONTRIBUTED IMAGE
An illustration showing what Main Street in Derby could look like.
DERBY — The state Department of Transportation is in receipt of six bids for the Route 34 downtown widening project, Mayor Rich Dziekan announced Thursday.
The six bids ranged in price from $18,713,012 to $23,566,097, according to the administration. That’s less than the $26 million estimate officials stated in August. The NVCOG reached out to The Valley Indy late Thursday saying “design completion date” estimate for the project was $17.64 million. The $26 million amount previously quoted included the state’s contingency for change orders.
The state is in charge of vetting the bids and the companies, in addition to ultimately deciding which company will get the contract. That process is now underway.
The bids were opened Wednesday (Nov. 3).
The list of bidders and cost estimate is in the image below, or click here.
C.J. Fucci Inc — $18,713,012
Loureiro Contractors Inc. — $20,425,428
John J. Brennan Construction Company Inc. — $21,508,294
Richards Corporation — $22,456,984
Guerrera Construction Company Inc. — $22,784,119
Empire Paving Inc. — $23,566,097.57
After a contractor is named, shovels are expected to go into the ground in the spring.
The project includes the reconstruction of Route 34 (Main Street) from the Derby-Shelton bridge to the Route 8 interchange. The Derby-Shelton bridge is currently undergoing a separate renovation project.
The Route 34 widening is supposed to improve traffic conditions in downtown Derby — without turning Main Street into a highway. It’s been the subject of political debate on the local level over the years.
Andrew Baklik, Mayor Rich Dziekan’s chief of staff, said he doesn’t have a timeline on when the DOT will award the bid for the project. He said the fact the state received multiple bids means the project is moving forward.
“The fact that there are six qualified bidders is awesome. That means there are options,” Baklik said. “From what I understand, nine firms pulled plans — in other words, were thinking about bidding on it — and six came back with responses.”
The project will create two through lanes in each direction on Route 34 separated by a center median, with new, dedicated turning lanes at intersections. There will also be improvements to traffic signals, including the interconnecting of the signals to improve traffic flow, according to info posted on the website of the Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments.
