TDOT opens bids for 119 Recovery Act-funded projects

On May 8, the Tennessee Department of Transportation identified the apparent lowest bidders on the state’s second round of infrastructure projects funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

TDOT officials opened bids from contractors across the state vying to construct 119 projects in 64 Tennessee counties to be funded through the Recovery Act. Bids were immediately posted on the TDOT Web site.

“We are excited to take this next big step toward putting the Recovery Act funds to work in Tennessee,” says TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely. “Today, our construction engineers will begin carefully reviewing all apparent low bids for accuracy and compliance with departmental guidelines.”

TDOT has up to 30 days to award contracts for the projects. Once contracts are in place, work orders will be issued to the contractors and pre-construction meetings will be set for each project.

In all, 77 resurfacing projects, 34 bridge projects and eight other projects funded by the Recovery Act were included in the letting. The 119 projects include work in 64 counties consisting of 31 projects in TDOT’s Region One, 28 projects in Region Two, 28 projects in Region Three, and 32 projects in Region Four.

Contracts for some bridge and resurfacing work include multiple projects.

Baptist Hospital opens newly- renovated waiting area

Baptist Hospital in Nashville, Tenn., held a grand opening and blessing ceremony recently to officially introduce its renovated third floor obstetrics family waiting area, now known as the Bud & Nancy Adams and Tennessee Titans Family Waiting Area.

The waiting area’s name recognizes the $500,000 grant from the Titans Foundation to the Baptist Hospital Foundation.

The grant, announced in February 2008 by Titans Owner K.S. “Bud” Adams Jr. and his wife, Nancy, represented the largest, single gift from the Titans Foundation since it was formed in 1999. The funds were designated for Baptist Hospital’s obstetrics expansion, which is now complete with the opening of the waiting area. Efforts have also included a renovation of postpartum rooms and nurseries and an expansion of the neonatal intensive care unit from 27 to 52 beds.

“We consider our organization’s partnership to be among our most important,” Adams says of the Titans’ relationship with Baptist Hospital. “Our close association with Baptist includes not only the name of our training and administration facility (Baptist Sports Park), but more importantly, our players’ health care, which is of huge importance to our business and operations.

“Our players and staff visit patients at Baptist Hospital on Tuesdays throughout the season and have done so since our move to Tennessee,” Adams adds. “In addition to the great care our players receive, many of our players, coaches and staff have had their babies delivered at Baptist Hospital.”

The Bud & Nancy Adams and Tennessee Titans Family Waiting Area features a comfortable setting. The décor complements the Titans blue team color and includes player posters and photos of Bud & Nancy Adams, LP Field, Titans mascot T-Rac and players visiting patients at Baptist Hospital.

A prominent photo of Bud & Nancy Adams is displayed near the entrance of the waiting area. New paint, wall coverings, light fixtures, flooring and furnishings, including tables, chairs and flat screen TVs, have been added. Some of the chairs are covered with a material that looks similar to the outer covering of a football. The vending area also has expanded seating and a children’s area includes special seating.

“This waiting area augments the maternal infant center,” says Bernie Sherry, president and CEO of Baptist Hospital. “We want our patients’ families and friends to have a comfortable space as they anticipate the birth of a new baby. Everyone will find a space that suits their needs and we’re grateful to the Adams family and Titans Foundation for their gift.”

More women choose Baptist Hospital for the birth of their baby than any other hospital in the region. More than 7,000 babies were delivered at the hospital in 2008; more than double any other Middle Tennessee hospital.

The Baptist Hospital Foundation, established as a 501c3 organization in 1983, provides a vehicle for friends of the hospital to make tax-deductible gifts in support of various hospital-related programs.

SSR selected for bridge project oversight

Smith Seckman Reid Inc. of Nashville, an engineering design and facility consulting firm, was recently selected to provide Construction Engineering and Inspection oversight for a bridge-replacement project in Carter County, funded entirely by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

“The intent of the stimulus bill is to start construction as soon as possible on ‘shovel ready’ projects so that unemployed workers are put back on the job,” says David Donoho, director of the transportation division for SSR. “Of those, SSR is fortunate to provide services for this important Tennessee-based roadway initiative.”

With Gov. Bredesen in attendance, a groundbreaking for the TDOT bridge-replacement was held in late April.

The 70-year-old steel truss bridge, located on the Watauga River in Carter County, is currently rated as structurally deficient and functionally obsolete because of its restricted load capacity and limited one-lane access.

The $1.5 million project will replace the existing bridge with a redesigned two-lane bridge that can withstand an increased load capacity.

Construction on the project has already begun and its completion is slated for August 2010.

In addition to the Carter County project, SSR was also selected to provide CEI oversight services for a federally funded roadway project located in Williamson County.

Because traffic on this two-lane road is becoming increasingly restricted due to left-hand turns, SSR will oversee the widening of a 1.3-mi section of Concord Road between Edmondson Pike and Sunset Boulevard into three lanes with a designated bike lane.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation was scheduled to open bids on the project in June, with construction scheduled to begin in July or August of this year.