It's back to the drawing board of sorts for the Highwood River/Centre Street Bridge project in High River.

A report to town council says the existing handrails on the bridge are in "poor visual condition and extensions are required to provide added safety for cyclists" to keep up with the current bridge code.

The scope of work also includes steel girder maintenance.

Council heard at its last meeting that bids have come in for the refurbishment.

But Mayor Craig Snodgrass says it was going to cost more than council budgeted.

"Ya, a little bit over what we had originally budgeted, so staff are going back to work with the low bidder, try to reduce the scope on a few things that we don't really have to have in there," he says.

Council had pegged the cost at $810,000 but bids came in between $931,890 and $1.226,817.

Some of the reason for the high cost is some of the repairs could have to be done from underneath on a barge in the river with special precautions to make sure lead paint doesn't get into the river.

The companies bidding added considerable markups for that work.

The mayor says the town wants the work done this summer.

 

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