Several firms apply to design Delta truck route

DELTA — Delta’s alternative truck route project should benefit from the strong showing in firms applying to complete its designs, a city official said.

“The good response gives us the ability to be very selective of the firm,” said Steve Glammeyer, assistant city manager of Delta on the eight proposals the city received by its Oct. 31 deadline. “This also means firms are really committed to the project and will work for the betterment of Delta and its citizens.”

Several criteria, including technical knowledge and demonstrated insight, will narrow down the list of applicants. Glammeyer said the city would then hold interviews to finalize its selection.

The designs are expected to cost between $1 million and $1.5 million, with a project total between $20 million and $25 million, he said. The city does not yet have funding for the project but plans to turn to voters for support.

“We will be asking the voters to obligate existing sales tax revenues in order to bond the project construction costs,” Glammeyer said. He said the bond’s final amount would be determined after the design is complete in the next year. The issue would probably go to voters in 2009 or 2010, he added.

Previous surveys indicated favorable public response to the route. Glammeyer said the city received a 29 percent return on the 3,557 surveys it mailed to every utility customer in 2006. In response to the question — “The city of Delta is considering constructing an alternate truck route to reroute truck traffic off Main Street. Is this a project you would support and like to see completed?” — 85 percent responded yes and 15 percent responded no.

In July, the city was granted $500,000 from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, in addition to $750,000 in supplemental city funds, for initial design of the alternate truck route project. The grant was $250,000 less than what the city requested.

Projections indicate that a truck route would lower daily truck traffic through Main Street from 1,310 vehicles in 2006 to 610 in 2030, according to the city. Without a truck route, projections show traffic increasing by 880 vehicles per day by 2030.

Contact Lisa Huynh via e-mail at lisah@montrosepress.com

The following companies submitted proposals to complete design drawings for the preferred alignment of the alternative truck route:

URS Corporation

JF Sato

Wilson & Company

David Evans & Associates

Carter & Burgess

Stantec

SEH

HDR

For more information, go to www.deltatruckroute.com