A fix to the Mile Point navigational hurdle is on track, although partnership paperwork still needs to be signed.
That should happen in time to award the contract.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued a pre-solicitation notice Nov. 26 but modified it Tuesday afternoon. Now, the notice says: “Funds are not presently available for this acquisition. No contract award will be made until appropriated funds are made available.”
However, the notice says the solicitation will be issued on or about Dec. 15 with a response date of Feb. 13.
Gov. Rick Scott pledged $36 million in state funding in January 2013 for the Mile Point project, a step to speed up the work that otherwise would have to wait on federal funding.
JaxPort spokeswoman Nancy Rubin said Wednesday the Corps is soliciting the bids, but cannot award the contract until paperwork is signed that completes the partnership agreement between the Corps and JaxPort.
“The funds are available,” she said, explaining that the state has committed the money and now the agreement needs to be signed between the port and Corps.
“The Corps will then have access to the funds and be able to use them to hire the firm chosen to construct the project,” she said.
JaxPort and the Corps each paid for half of the $2 million preconstruction design and engineering work.
State Rep. Lake Ray previously said the state’s funding for the Mile Point project flowed from federal transportation funding. The state could be paid back later from future federal funding.
Rubin said the money is coming from the state transportation budget through the Florida Department of Transportation. She said it has the $36 million in its account waiting for JaxPort to have the final signed agreement with the federal government through the Corps.
“FDOT will grant us access to the money once the agreement is in place,” Rubin said.
Project manager Jason Harrah said the Corps cannot accept the money until it signs the partnership agreement.
He said the Corps has a waiver to advertise for bids, which is why it amended the notice.
Harrah said the Corps will sign the partnership agreement and request the funding on or before Feb. 3, 10 days before the Feb. 13 response date.
The Mile Point project could cost from $25 million to $50 million, according to the Corps’ bid notice. The Corps has said it expected to award the bid in March or April for a construction timetable of 12-18 months, indicating a completion in the summer or fall of 2016.
“It is expected to fall in correctly so they can award it,” Rubin said.
The Mile Point project consists of reconstructing a training wall to calm currents where the St. Johns River and Intracoastal Waterway cross, creating crosscurrents that prohibit larger ships from passing during ebb tide.
The work consists of relocating and reconfiguring the existing training walls; dredging the confluence area; and marine animal, bird and turbidity monitoring as well as other demolition, clearing and grubbing.
A fix to Mile Point would allow for more ship traffic and also is part of a larger vision of dredging the St. Johns River to allow for larger cargo vessels that cross through the Panama Canal, whose expansion is due for completion next year.
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