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As activists battle with the county over whether to extend Ridge Road through a major environmental preserve, there remains an issue that's difficult to nail down: How much would the road cost?
A public notice issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers this week lists the road's cost at $101 million and says Pasco has $132 million set aside for the project. But the county argues those figures don't tell the whole story. Falling construction prices over the past several years have dropped the total project's cost to $83 million, county officials said.
As with other road projects, cost estimates can fluctuate based on volatile construction prices. Lately, those prices are down because of a slow economy. As contractors compete for scarce business, many of them are willing to cut into their profits just to find work.
"The bids from the last two or three years have been very competitive," said Deborah Bolduc, the county's engineering services program administrator.
Of course the trend will likely work in reverse when the economy picks up. Michele Baker, the chief assistant county administrator, said that's all the more reason to move quickly on the project.
"If we were to build sooner rather than later, we would enjoy good construction costs," she said.
For the full article, visit the St. Petersburg Times.
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