Opening of bids slated for September

Construction would start in October and is expected to take two years

Bid opening is now set to take place in September in connection with the roundabout construction set to get under way the following month.

The roundabout will be constructed at the intersection of Albany Avenue, Broadway and Col. Chandler Drive (Interstate 587).

Gina DiSarno, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Transportation, said this week the bid opening will take place in mid-September. An email to the city says the actual date is Sept. 13.

DiSarno said that final design plans for the roundabout are expected to be completed in late June.

It is likely that bids will be sought between the completion of the final design plan in June and the bid opening in September. Work is set to begin in October.

Some public comment will be incorporated in the design.

The state Department of Transportation held a meeting Dec. 3, 2015, to solicit public input on a preliminary version of the project.

Officials have said there were five basic themes that emerged from the earlier meeting: concern over pedestrian safety, how bicyclists would navigate the roundabout, what would happen to the monuments in the area, signs, and landscaping. He said the transportation department believes it has come up with solutions to all those concerns.

Regarding pedestrian safety, the department is proposing a “raised crosswalk” at the intersection of Col. Chandler Drive, also known as I-587.

The preliminary design also includes a 10-foot-wide shared path around the perimeter of the roundabout, as well as having all signs “ground mounted,” rather than over the roads.

The project is expected to cost $5 million and take two years to complete.