A 1.4-mile extension of the Central Trail south from Buckingham Road to Dallas College's Richland Campus moved to the Dallas County Commissioners Court this week, with county staff recommending a $3.67 million construction contract.
The trail would run from Buckingham Road, west of the DART light rail tracks, to the intersection of Walnut Street and Abrams Road, according to the county's briefing document. The county describes it as multimodal street path improvements that would tie into existing sidewalk networks in Richardson and Dallas, including the Richland Campus.
The bids
The county's purchasing department received eight bids. Staff recommended DDM Construction Corp. of Lake Dallas, the lowest responsive bidder, at no more than $3,673,994.48. The next two offers were from Axis Contracting at $4,744,388.88 and Ed Bell Construction at $4,787,768.08. The other five bidders were deemed non-responsive for not meeting specifications.
The purchasing department said it sent 685 email notices to registered vendors and reached out to small-business certification partners and chambers of commerce. DDM plans to use nine subcontractors for work ranging from electrical and traffic control to tree removal and pavement marking, but none is a certified small business, so the county lists small-business participation on the job at 0%.