Newtown Creek Pedestrian Bridge Rebid Questions

Executive Summary

The Newtown Creek Pedestrian/Bicycle Bridge and Trail project is currently in a rebid phase as of June 2026. The project is supported by a grant of $999,979, with approximately 11.7% ($116,953.56) already expended on engineering and legal costs.

To manage costs and provide flexibility, the rebid structure utilizes a “Base Bid” for critical elements—such as cast-in-place concrete foundations and cedar post fencing—while introducing several “Add/Alternate” items for optional materials and trail extensions. For more on that, read “Newtown Creek Bridge Rebid Specifications”.

Financial Status and Funding Constraints

The project is governed by the limitations of a single awarded grant. The current financial data reveals a discrepancy between historical bid pricing and available funds. Howell Engineering is the Principal Engineer of record, with Jeremy S. Madaras, MSc, PE, serving as the primary contact for technical inquiries. Legal oversight is provided by Kilkenny Law LLC.

Grant Allocation and Expenditures

Financial Category	Amount
Total Grant Awarded	$999,979.00
Total Expenses to Date (Engineering & Legal)	$116,953.56
% of Grant Spent to Date	11.7%
Estimated Future Invoices (Howell & Kilkenny)	$47,000.00
Remaining Funds Available for Construction	$836,025.44

Historical Bid Data (Rejected)

Previous bids for the project significantly exceeded the grant amount:

• Ply-Mar Construction Company Inc: $1,115,950.00
• PKF-MARK III Inc: $1,312,960.00
• Richard E. Pierson Construction Company Inc: $1,536,800.00
• Average Bid: $1,321,903.33

Questions From Bidders

In response to bidder inquiries and budgetary requirements, the project has categorized various components into Base Bid and Add/Alternate items. Howell Engineering has answered several questions from potential bidders. I summarize a few important ones with my concerns below (see Responses to Bidder Questions #2 (REBID)...).

Q: Are you open to alternative bridge design including the following?

(1) Driven round stock timber pile foundations in lieu of the concrete foundations shown on the plans.

A: The Project cannot commit to the use of Timber Pile Foundations in lieu of concrete foundations. This option will, however, be coordinated with approving entities and agencies (e.g., Newtown Board of Supervisors) for consideration. IF acceptable, the timber piles foundations will be included as an Add/Alternate Item.

MY CONCERN: Will Supervisors understand the structural implications? My concern is that timber pilings are less robust and long lasting compared to concrete and may incur expensive repairs/maintenance in the future.

(2) Hardwood decking in lieu of composite decking shown on plans.

A: Hardwood decking has been included as an Add/Alternate Item.

MY CONCERN: Will hardwood deteriorate over time (e.g., warp) or require additional maintenance such as fungi removal that composite decking will not require?

(3) Timber handrails using timber posts w/ wire mesh in lieu of aluminum handrail shown on plans.

A: Timber Guardrail has been included as an Add/Alternate Item (#2-8). An Addendum Detail/Specification will be distributed to define the parameters of this railing.

Q: It is understood there was a grant awarded of $999,979 to fund this project. Has additional funding been secured, should the re-bid go over this dollar amount?

A: Additional funding has not been secured. Note that design, direct, and administrative costs in the range of 11 to 12 percent of the grant are a portion of that award.

This leads to a question I have:

Will There Be Enough Grant Money to Cover the Cost?

As I noted in comments at the 13 May 2026 Newtown Board of Supervisors meeting and above, the township (and Borough) have already paid Howell Engineering $113,062.81 in engineering fees for bridge design and project management as well as paying legal fees relating to the project totaling $3,891 (UPDATED 6/27/26). The total = $116,954, which is 11.7% of the $999,979 grant. Since Howell Engineering admitted that 11 to 12 percent is the cost range for these services, we are ALREADY at that point.

The problem as I see it is that there will definitely be additional “design, direct, and administrative costs” prior to and during construction and these costs will then exceed 12% of the grant. I am not sure this limit is written in stone as part of the grant, but these additional costs must be considered when considering the rebids.

By my estimate, there will be an additional $45,000 in invoices from Howell and $2,000 from Kilkenny (leaving aside the question of the 12% limit). That leaves only about $836,000 for work done by contractors. That, therefore, would be the highest bid amount acceptable UNLESS the township and borough chip in thousands of additional funds, which I am sure would be unpopular with many residents who have already complained about costs (for more on that, refer to my survey results...)