Agenda Item Wording:
title
Award construction contract for pedestrian bridge- Authorize the City Manager to award the construction contract with Cen-Cal Construction for the Plaza Park pedestrian bridge project in the amount of $283,382.
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Agenda Date: 10/19/2026
Prepared by:
Katherine Woodhull-Fuget, Associate Engineer, Katherine.Woodhull-Fuget@visalia.gov, (559) 713-4447
Eric Bons, Senior Civil Engineer, Eric.Bons@visalia.gov, (559) 713-4350
Chris Crawford, City Engineer, Chris.Crawford@visalia.gov, (559) 713-4331
Jason Huckleberry, Engineering & Building Director, Jason.Huckleberry@visalia.gov, (559) 713-4495
Department Recommendation: Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the City Manager to award a contract with Cen-Cal Construction for the Plaza Park pedestrian bridge Project in the amount of $283,382.
Summary:
The eastmost pedestrian bridge across Mill Creek in Plaza Park, previously located between the main children’s playground and the restrooms, was damaged by a falling oak tree in Spring of 2023 and was subsequently removed. This bridge provided the only ADA access to the park restrooms from the large playground and arbors on the south side of Mill Creek.
This project will install a new prefabricated pedestrian bridge to restore pedestrian access across Mill Creek in Plaza Park.
The Plaza Park pedestrian bridge project was advertised (RFB 26-27-01) and closed October 6, 2026, with eight (8) construction proposals received. Cen-Cal Construction was the low bidder in the amount of $283,382.
Background Discussion:
The pedestrian bridge project is located within Plaza Park, which is located off South Plaza Drive from Highway 198. This project will restore the eastmost pedestrian crossing of Mill Creek by installing a new prefabricated steel pedestrian bridge. The previous bridge was damaged by a falling oak tree in Spring of 2023 and removed as a safety hazard. Currently, there is no direct or accessible path from the playground and southern parking lot (located south of the creek) to the restroom building and the northern parking lot. In the interim, the City has placed temporary restroom facilities in the parking lot south of Mill Creek.
The project scope includes the installation of an eight-foot wide, prefabricated, steel pedestrian bridge with a weathering steel finish and a concrete deck, pipe casings for future utilities, and sidewalk improvements at the bridge approaches. The bridge style is intended to match the prefabricated pedestrian/trail bridges located throughout Visalia.
The Plaza Park pedestrian bridge project was advertised (RFB 26-27-01) and the bid proposals were opened on October 6, 2026. There were a total of eight (8) bid proposals submitted.
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Contractor |
Location |
Bid Amount |
|
1 |
J. L. Plank Inc. DBA Cen-Cal Construction |
Shafter, CA |
$ 283,382 |
|
2 |
JT2 Inc DBA Todd Companies |
Visalia, CA |
$ 305,700 |
|
3 |
R. E. Schultz Construction, Inc |
Orange, CA |
$ 357,808 |
|
4 |
Wright Construction Engineering Corp |
San Marcos, CA |
$ 379,000 |
|
5 |
Synergy Construction & Development Corp |
Bakersfield, CA |
$ 440,484 |
|
6 |
Dawson-Mauldin LLC |
Selma, CA |
$ 504,154 |
|
7 |
Thermal Energy Solutions |
Bakersfield, CA |
$ 529,878 |
|
8 |
American Paving Co |
Fresno, CA |
$ 571,118 |
Cen-Cal Construction submitted the apparent low bid of $283,382. City staff has reviewed the bid documents and found them to be complete and acceptable. As part of the review process, the references provided by Cen-Cal Construction have been verified. The responses from each reference were favorable and demonstrated that Cen-Cal Construction can perform the work for this project.
Fiscal Impact:
This project is funded by the General Fund (001) as shown in the following table.
|
Project Funding (CP0622) |
|
|
General Fund (001) |
$526,500.00 |
|
Project Expenditures |
|
|
Project Management (Estimated) |
$ 10,000.00 |
|
Consultant Design Services |
$ 89,300.00 |
|
Misc Administrative Costs (Permits, Fees) |
$ 3,000.00 |
|
Construction Proposal (Cen-Cal Construction) |
$283,382.00 |
|
Construction Surveying (Estimated) |
$ 7,100.00 |
|
Construction Management (Estimated) |
$ 14,200.00 |
|
Inspection & Geotechnical (Estimated) |
$ 40,500.00 |
|
Construction Contingency (10%) |
$ 28,400.00 |
|
Expenditures Total: |
$475,882.00 |
|
|
|
|
Project Summary |
|
|
Project Funding: |
$526,500.00 |
|
Project Expenditures: |
$475,882.00 |
|
Surplus/(Deficit): |
$ 50,618.00 |
Installation of a new pedestrian bridge with this project will remove the ongoing maintenance cost of renting temporary restroom facilities to serve the south side of Mill Creek.
Prior Council Action: None
Alternatives: None
Recommended Motion (and Alternative Motions if expected):
recommendation
I move to authorize the City Manager to award a contract with Cen-Cal Construction for the Plaza Park pedestrian bridge project in the amount of $283,382.
Environmental Assessment Status: The pedestrian bridge has been designed to stay completely outside the banks of Mill Creek to avoid any environmental impact and reduce permitting requirements.
CEQA Review: The City prepared a notice of exemption (environmental document #2026-54) for this project which was filed 9/14/26.
Deadline for Action: 10/19/2026
Attachments:
1. Project Location Exhibit
2. RFB 26-27-01 Draft Construction Contract
3. Cen-Cal Construction Bid Proposal
4. Cen-Cal Construction Ownership Disclosure Form
Strategic Goal: Indicates which City Strategic Goal(s) this item supports. Check all that apply.
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☐ Economic Vitality |
☐  Organizational Excellence |
☐ Fiscal Strength |
☒  Infrastructure & Growth |
☒  Quality of Life |