City Council Awards Duckwood Overpass Contract to Lunda Construction

The Eagan City Council awarded a $4,526,172.03 contract Tuesday to Lunda Construction for street improvements and the erection of an overpass bridge spanning Interstate-35E at Duckwood Drive.

This work is the final phase in the city's planned ring road project, designed to ease traffic congestion along Yankee Doodle and Pilot Knob roads. 

For the first time since the city began evaluating bids based on a best-value score, instead of cost alone, the lowest bidding company -  Robert R. Schroeder -  did not also achieve the best technical score and was therefore edged out by Lunda Construction.

City Administrator Tom Hedges explained that the "purpose of using the best-value solicitation is to ensure, to the greatest extent possible, that the selected contractor is adequately prepared to fulfill the contract and complete the proposed project in a manner satisfactory to the city while reducing the hazards involved in awarding a contract to a party less qualified to perform it."  

According to Hedges, this value is often realized in "enhanced safety, reduced congestion and shorter construction work periods impacting the community."

Factors contributing to a bidder's technical score included the quality and timeliness of a contactor's previous performance, their experience completing a similar project and the experience level of key personnel who will be participating on the project. 

Director of Public Works Tom Colbert confirmed that Lunda Construction previously completed the Northwoods Parkway Overpass for the city. 

Colbert also indicated that construction is scheduled to begin in early May with an anticipated completion sometime in November.  

In other business, the council approved a contract for Five 9s Digital to move forward with a feasibility study - with deliverables that include building a direct business case and recommending the optimal Eagan location for a proposed co-location data center. 

Mayor Mike Maguire and Hedges commended Director of Communications Tom Garrison for his "heavy lifting" on committees and his diligent effort to advance the council's goal of supporting the evolving infrastructure needs of the community.

According to Garrison, during the bid interview process, representatives of companies submitting proposals to complete the first phase of the study "validated the city's strategy and indicated it was a visionary step and wouldn't just be a solution for Eagan."