The city finance committee declined to make a recommendation on Tuesday to the City Commission regarding a substantial increase in the cost to design and get permits for a pedestrian and bike bridge through the marsh on U.S. 17.
The finance committee makes recommendations to the City Commission. It does not have the final say on financial matters. The committee is made up of Brunswick Mayor Cosby Johnson, Commissioner Felicia Harris and Finance Director Kathy Mills. Harris was absent at the Tuesday meeting. Currently, a concrete bike and pedestrian path extend from the Sidney Lanier Bridge to Overlook Park on the east side of the highway. The sidewalk continues from there on the west side.
The bridge would allow cyclists and pedestrians to continue on the east side of the road to connect to the path on the F.J. Torras Causeway. Original plans for the new bridge showed the structure in the marsh between Georgia Power utility poles and U.S. 17, city Public Works Director Garrow Alberson told the committee. The utility did not want the trail between the roadway and poles, as that would complicate repairs.
“Moving the trail and the alignment to the east extended the length of the trail, which requires additional surveying and environmental evaluation,” Alberson said. That means substantial redesigns, more dealing with government environmental agencies and further erosion control, he said.
Initially, the estimated cost for the design and permit phase was $1.2 million. Georgia Department of Transportation grants would pay 80% of the cost and the rest would come from SPLOST 2016 revenue. The city contracted with DRMP, Inc., to handle both tasks.
Revisions to the design and getting the necessary environmental permits would raise the cost to $2.06 million. Alberson said he felt certain the city could get further grant funding from the GDOT, but it would raise the city’s 20% match from $240,000 to $400,000.
