Oglethorpe Bridge plans stalled following bid rejection

ALBANY, Ga. – Nearly a year after it was announced that renovation projects were in the works for the Oglethorpe Bridge, plans have hit a snag as all proposed bids by the city have been rejected.

We met with Ward 1 Commissioner, Jon Howard Friday afternoon to talk about what happened and why project bids have been rejected.

“And, so what DOT (Department of Transportation) told us that what we had to do, we were going to re-bid it back out. And, we’re hoping that we can have a contractor sometime in September of this year and all that. But, the concern was that the multiple bids were too high. So, they want to put it back out and see, can we come to a similar agreement and take a bid,” said Jon Howard, Ward 1 Commissioner, City of Albany.

When we first reported on this story last August, we spoke with local property and business owners about the need for renovations to the Oglethorpe Bridge.

Gilbert Udoto was one of those people, and hearing the bids being rejected feels like a blow to east Albany.

“We wanted to get over because this is a major boulevard. It is 25,000 cars passing by. So, we wanted to go ahead in a way so that we can get our business together,” said Gilbert Udoto, Owner, Shackleford Shopping Center.

But… Commissioner Howard says that the city is planning to make some changes to their bid in the hopes of getting it approved.

“And, the (DOT) engineer told us that those bids should come sometime in September. She would be beaten up and September of this year,” said Commissioner Howard.

But… ultimately it boils down to what the department of transportation decides.

“We are one year behind time. And, when we were here almost a year ago, we were talking about the same thing. And, for those that are watching today, let’s just remind individuals that Oglethorpe Boulevard; roads and the bridge is controlled by the DOT. So, regardless of how we feel about it, dot has to find a call to say what they accept and reject,” said Commissioner Howard.

While recent bids have been rejected Commissioner Howard hopes the project will get an approved bid and they’ll finally be able to renovate a sorely needed piece of infrastructure.

Construction on the Oglethorpe Bridge was originally scheduled to begin towards the end of 2024.

Brian Roche reporting.

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