Columbus wants a builder for a 10-foot Dragonfly Trail link and footbridge from near Cascade Road to the RiverWalk at Lake Oliver Road. Bids are due Oct. 21.

Columbus is looking for a contractor to build a new Dragonfly Trail link along River Road. It would run almost a mile from near Cascade Road to the Chattahoochee RiverWalk at Lake Oliver Road, with a pedestrian bridge on the way. Bids are due Wednesday, Oct. 21.

The city’s Purchasing Division describes the job in its request for bids, RFB No. 27-0006. The trail would start near Cascade Road and run south along River Road, which is state Route 219. It would then turn west to meet the existing RiverWalk at Lake Oliver Road.

What would be built

The request for bids lists:

  • a 10-foot-wide concrete trail about 5,026 feet long
  • a pedestrian bridge
  • landscaping and stormwater work
  • trail amenities and signs

Part of the route sits on state right of way. The city said it already holds an encroachment permit from the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT).

The city’s answers to contractors’ questions add some detail. They are in Addendum No. 4, dated Oct. 9. One bidder described the bridge as a 160-foot by 12-foot structure. The city said its railing should be stainless steel cable. Utility lines belonging to Georgia Power, AT&T, Mediacom and Charter have to be moved for the project, and a fire hydrant on Lake Oliver Road will be relocated.

An earlier addendum shows the trail will carry an Eco-Counter, a device that counts the people using it.

A deadline pushed back three times

The city first advertised the work on Aug. 18, with bids due Sept. 23. Addenda moved the deadline to Oct. 7, then Oct. 14, and now to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21. The current date is on the city’s bid opportunities page.

The documents do not give a cost estimate, a start date or a completion date. The contract still has to be awarded after bids are opened.

The project was listed among advertised bids in the packet for the Oct. 13 Columbus Council meeting.

Part of a bigger network

Dragonfly Trails is the name of the city’s trail system. It has 34 miles of existing, connected trails and a 65-mile master plan, according to Dragonfly Trails. Another link, the Midtown Connector Phase I, is already on our road construction and closures page.

What it means for you

  • If you walk, run or bike the RiverWalk, this link would connect its north end at Lake Oliver Road with River Road toward Cascade Road.
  • If you drive River Road, expect lane closures once work starts. The city told bidders that no lane closures will be approved from 7 to 8:30 a.m. or from 4 to 6 p.m. Contractors must get a lane closure permit from GDOT.
  • Bridge night: the city said the pedestrian bridge may be set in place overnight, between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. One bidder said that would take one night. While it is installed, the center turn lane may carry southbound traffic with both southbound lanes closed.
  • Questions about the bid go to the city’s Purchasing Division at 706-225-4087.

We will report the bids and the contract award when the city publishes them. For trails you can use now, see our walking and biking trails guide.