Consideration and Adoption of Resolution No. 2018-54:  A resolution of the Flagstaff City Council authorizing an Intergovernmental Agreement with the Arizona Department of Transportation for Construction of the Fourth Street /I-40 Bridge Replacement Project.

ADOT planned rehabilitation/maintenance of the existing Fourth Street bridges over I-40 and City staff recognized this as an opportunity to evaluate the possibility of replacing and widening these bridges to meet the City's Regional Plan Goals. Previous IGA's have been approved by Council to conduct a Project Assessment and obtain 100% design plans for the bridge replacement.  The estimated construction cost for a total bridge structure replacement is $10,200,000.  This IGA, which will need Council consideration and approval, partners with ADOT to share in the cost of construction of the 4th Street Bridge at 50% for each agency.  Please see the attached context/vicinity map.

The City of Flagstaff is responsible for half of the cost of construction for this project, with the City's share currently estimated at $5,100,000.  The City's cost for construction will be covered by FY2019 budget appropriations of $2,678,343 plus an additional $2,827,840 in the out years of Capital Improvement 5-year plan designated for Fourth Street Improvements within the Transportation Tax Fund.

COUNCIL GOALS:

TRANSPORTATION & OTHER PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE - Deliver quality community assets and continue to advocate and implement a highly performing multi-modal transportation system.

REGIONAL PLAN:

Goal T.1 - Improve mobility and access throughout the region.
Goal T.2 - Improve transportation safety and efficiency for all modes.
Goal T.4 - Promote transportation infrastructure and services that enhance the quality of life of the communities within the region.
Goal T.5 - Increase the availability and use of pedestrian infrastructure, including FUTS, as a critical element of a safe and livable community.
Goal T.6 - Provide for bicycling as a safe and efficient means of transportation and recreation.
Goal CD.1 Improve the City and County financial systems to provide for needed infrastructure development and rehabilitation, including enhancement of existing infrastructure.

STRATEGIC PLAN PRIORITY  #3:

FOSTER A RESILIENT AND ECONOMICALLY PROSPEROUS CITY

• Enhance the organization's fiscal stability and resourcefulness.

Council approved an IGA between the City of Flagstaff and ADOT for a project assessment addendum for the Fourth Street / I-40 Bridge Widening and Replacement Project in March of 2017.  The City bore the entire cost of the project assessment addendum at $60,000, which was administered by ADOT.

Council also approved an IGA between the City of Flagstaff and ADOT for a 100% design of the Fourth Street / I-40 Bridge Project at a cost of $1,000,000 in April of 2018.  The total cost for the design was shared with ADOT, and the City's share was 50% for a total City cost of $500,000.  ADOT is currently in the procurement phase of design and is working to select a design consultant.

1.  Approve the proposed IGA with ADOT to construct the replacement and widening of the bridges in question.  This option shares construction costs for the bridges with ADOT.

2.  Deny the proposed IGA with ADOT.  ADOT will likely revert the project scope back to the originally proposed maintenance of the bridges and rehabilitate the bridge decks to satisfy life/safety concerns.  The Fourth Street corridor will continue to experience vehicular congestion and pedestrian safety issues related to the bridge bottleneck. It is unknown when in the future ADOT may re-consider widening and replacement of the current bridges.

The Fourth Street bridges over I-40 are ADOT structures.

Fourth Street is one of only three north-south arterials and one of only three locations with a grade-separated crossing of the BNSF railroad.

Fourth Street is identified as a minor arterial in the regional plan. The typical cross section for a minor arterial is four lanes with a shared center lane or raised median.

The FMPO prepared a Fourth Street Traffic Interchange feasibility study in 2007 that found an interchange was not preferred, but that widening and lengthening the bridge is needed.

The City’s Fourth Street Corridor Study (Sout) from March 2010 recommends widening and lengthening the bridges.

ADOT drafted an initial design concept report for I-40 in 2011 that concluded the Fourth Street bridges need to be lengthened in order to widen I-40 to the recommended 6-lane section.

An IGA was signed in 2017 to conduct a project assessment addendum for the widening of the existing bridges at Fourth Street and I-40. The project assessment was completed by ADOT and included analysis for (1) a bridge deck widening and (2) a total structure replacement.  The final recommendation of the project assessment was for total structure replacement with an estimated construction cost around $10,200,000. 

An IGA was signed in April of 2018 with ADOT to administer a design contract for 100% design plans for the widening and replacement of the existing bridges at Fourth Street and I-40.  ADOT is currently in the procurement phase of the design process.

• Costs for bridge construction, overages, change orders, and quantity overruns associated with the bridge reconstruction will be shared equally between ADOT and the City of Flagstaff.
• ADOT will administer the construction of the project and act as the City's authorized agent if federal funds are available for the project.
• ADOT is not obligated to construct the project if federal funding becomes unavailable.
• The current proposed schedule for the project the project being advertised for construction in Fall of 2019 and begin construction in Spring of 2020

The benefits of this IGA and the construction of the new bridge include congestion relief, safe pedestrian and bicycle passage across I-40, and financial partnering with ADOT/FHWA.