Contractor earns bonus for finishing Highway 965 bridge work early

JOHNSON COUNTY - The Highway 965 bridge opened Friday, five days sooner than expected, bringing an end to the more than five months of congestion and construction.

The bridge over the Iowa River opened five days ahead of what Cramer and Associates, the Grimes-based construction company hired to replace the bridge deck, expected. Dan Cramer, president and chief operating officer, said the warm fall weather helped the timeline.

Cramer said part of his company's contract with Johnson County included an incentive/disincentive clause. This means the contractor is to receive an additional $3,000 for each day it was ahead of the targeted completion date. Had the project run past the completion date, the company would have paid the same amount in penalties.

Johnson County Secondary Roads officials had to rush to get the bridge's deck replaced after maintenance employees discovered cracking in May. The Board of Supervisors called an emergency meeting the next day to place a 20-ton weight limit on the bridge.

Between May and September, commuters faced single-lane traffic, controlled by signals. VJ Engineering of Coralville rushed design work over the summer. The bridge was finally closed on Sept. 6 so Cramer and Associates could begin demolition and replacement.

Cramer said jobs like this one are not out of the norm for his company. While it's not always an emergency, he said they work on a lot of interstate projects, which must be completed quickly.

'We are used to fast-track work,” Cramer said.

The board approved Cramer and Associates' bid, which came in at just under $1 million, in mid-August.

Cramer said there still is some work to be completed on the bridge, which could cause some daytime lane closures. He said the work is mostly under the bridge and includes painting and cleaning.

A media release sent from the Secondary Roads Department Thursday night instructs drivers to be prepared to follow flaggers' instructions. It also said to watch out for equipment and workers near the bridge.