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Planning for Paseo Bridge improvements being kept secret

Kansas City Star
August 24, 2007
Brad Cooper

With construction less than a year away, there's a lot we don't know about the rebuilding of the landmark Paseo Bridge across the Missouri River.

What will it look like? Will it close during construction, and for how long? Will it have a bike lane? How will construction affect one of Kansas City's oldest and most ethnically diverse neighborhoods, Columbus Park?

Those details and more will be determined this summer outside the eyes of the general public. Because the state is using a different process from how most Missouri highways are built, the answers won't be known until the contract is awarded Nov. 14.

The project calls for upgrading or replacing the 53-year-old Paseo Bridge and widening four miles of Interstates 29/35 from the Northland into the interstate loop around downtown.

Missouri usually builds highways by designing the project, putting it out for public comment and then bidding it to a construction company. For the Paseo, the state is wrapping the construction and design into one $245 million contract.

The goal: Get it done faster and cheaper.

But in trying to get the most bridge for the buck, there's a tradeoff. You don't get to see the details of the project until it's practically a done deal.

State highway officials have surveyed nearby residents, and a committee of civic leaders has been advising the state on the project.

But without knowing the details, it's hard for the larger community to voice its ideas, said Mell Henderson, director of transportation for the Mid-America Regional Council.

The process -- called design-build -- allows the two bidding teams to work behind the scenes to come up with a design and construction plan acceptable to the state.

It's in their confidential proposals where the bidders will spell out what the bridge will look like, how they'll manage traffic during construction and how they'll work with the public.

"I am not entirely convinced that the general public has a very strong sense at this point of the full scope and impact of the project," said urban planner Daniel Serda, one of a dozen community leaders on the advisory committee.

"There are any number of unknowns," Serda said. "But those who have anxiety about them are those who are going to be most immediately impacted. That includes people who live close to there and people who have businesses in the corridor."

Officials from the Missouri Department of Transportation acknowledge that the new process changes how they gather public input.

"We're in such a compressed schedule," said department spokeswoman Jennifer Benefield.

The Mid-America Regional Council is encouraging MoDOT and the two bidders to respond to the community even after the contract is awarded in November.

Benefield said that once the contractor is selected, two months of negotiations will follow to refine details. But in the meantime, the process is highly guarded. Each advisory committee member had to sign a confidentiality agreement vowing not to disclose any details about the selection process. A leak could derail the project.

"MoDOT has brought us into their bosom, so to speak," said Northland civic leader Tim Kristl, a member of the advisory panel. "They've told us things that are going on that are private. While we can't disclose those, we can be the community's eyes and ears."

MoDOT, meanwhile, spent about $10,000 soliciting, collecting and tabulating public comments this summer from 464 people who will be affected by the project.

They met with residents at City Market, at the North Kansas City Community Center, at the Don Bosco Senior Center in Columbus Park and at one of Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser's town hall meetings held in the Northland.

But there were no public hearings where residents could meet with the bidding teams and see what's proposed.

For example, the bidders must provide a way to get in and out of the Paseo Industrial District during construction.

"It does cause some angst," said John Wagner Sr., owner of Wagner Industries in the industrial area and a member of MoDOT's advisory panel. "I would like to have those answers myself, but at present I don't."

Because MoDOT couldn't provide specific information for commuters to see and learn, the agency skipped a hearing in favor of going out into the community.

They asked residents about what the bridge should look like and what they think is important about the project. They were asked about how they would commute to work during construction and what alternate route they might take.

Some of those surveyed wanted a bridge that would be identifiable with Kansas City. One wanted "foutainesque" features, while others wanted something "plain" and "cheap."

The selection process for the Paseo is used for big-ticket highway projects in 32 other states.

It calls for designers and contractors to collaborate, working within broad parameters set by the state.

The bidding teams are given a flat amount -- $245 million in this case. Officials want the bidders to be creative so they get as much bridge as possible.

"Every indication so far shows that were are going to get so much more out of this $245 million budget than we could have generated internally because of their required innovation," Kidwell said.

The Paseo project

** Bidders: One team led by American Bridge Co. of Corapolis, Pa. Second team led by Clarkson and Massman Construction Cos. of Kansas City, along with Keiwit Western Co. of Omaha, Neb.

** The job: Widen I-29/35 from Missouri 210 to northeast corner of downtown Kansas City loop. Upgrade the 53-year-old Paseo Bridge.

** Cost: $245 million

** Selection: Graded on a 1-100 scale with points awarded for parameters such as number of lanes and pavement quality (30), aesthetics (20), traffic management during construction (15), durability (10), hiring disadvantaged businesses and individuals (10), completion schedule (10) and public information (5).

** For more information: Go to www.kcicon.org or send e-mail to kcicon@modot.mo.gov.

@ Visit KansasCity.com to see the results of citizen surveys on the Paseo project.

Aesthetics count

The decision on who builds an upgraded Paseo Bridge will depend in large part on what the structure might look like. The two proposals will be scored on a scale of 1-100, with the top point-getter being recommended to the Missouri Highways & Transportation Commission for approval.

Each proposal will be assigned points in seven different categories, including traffic management and bridge aesthetics.

A group of 12 civic leaders will control 20 of the 100 points when they evaluate the proposals for the appearance of the improved bridge. Among other things, the panel will judge the distinctive look of the bridge as well the view from the bridge because that affects the way people will see the city.

Copyright © 2007 The Kansas City Star Co.

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