AMES – The flyover bridge in Ames is still is not done. Even though crews have now been working on it for over a year.
The Iowa DOT gave Minnowa 240 working days to complete the project. But a few hiccups along the way like, “The sleeves that hold the steel beams onto the piers we not constructed plum, they were not in there correctly,“ has pushed construction well past those allotted days.
So the Minnesota based construction company has been working around the clock to catch up. But, from the last time we talked with the DOT, the completion date has been moved back even further. “It is based on the contractor’s schedule, they’ve given us a schedule on the work they have upcoming and based on that schedule it is now in September.“
But don’t worry taxpayers, it’s not you footing the bill for the overtime. It is the construction company Minnowa.
Each day over the 240 working days they pay out $5500. Scott Dockstader with the DOT estimates in the end that total will be about, “100 days of liquidated damages that would be 550,000 dollars.“
Even though it’s taken longer than expected, Dockstader hopes others are noticing the work being done. “I think with the steal beam up a lot of people see the progress going on.“
Minnowa plans to send more people to Ames to help out. But the DOT says mother nature needs to pitch in as well so workers don’t have to stop for weather.