The board of the Golden Gate Bridge Highway & Transportation District last week voted to put plans to retrofit a suicide barrier to the bridge on hold pending revision of the funding plans. Two bids for the work, which was originally estimated at a cost of US75 million, were revealed to be substantially higher than the budget when they were opened in July.
The price submitted by the low bidder, a joint venture of Shimmick Construction Company/Danny's Construction Company, was almost twice the budget at US$142 million while American Bridge Company's price was almost US$175 million.
The board has asked bidders to freeze their bids - which were originally dated to expire after 90 days, in October - until January 9th to give staff time to try and seek extra funding.
The contract involves construction of a horizontal stainless steel net supported by cantilevered steel brackets along the west and east sides of four Golden Gate Bridge structures: the south approach viaduct, the Fort Point arch, the suspension bridge, and the north approach viaduct and construction of a tall vertical railing at the north anchorage housing. It also covers replacement of the suspension bridge maintenance travellers and construction of a wind retrofit along the west side of the main span.
