Sacramento’s I Street Bridge Replacement Project faces delays after bids came in nearly $100M above estimates, pushing construction start to at least 2027.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The I Street Bridge Replacement Project is facing delays after construction bids came in significantly higher than the City of Sacramento’s estimates, prompting officials to reassess costs and next steps.
The city received proposals last week from three nationally recognized contractors, with bid amounts ranging from approximately $398 million to $517 million.
The city’s estimated construction cost for the project was about $300 million.
The lowest bid, submitted by Flatiron Dragados Constructors, Inc., was around $398.5 million, nearly $100 million above the city’s estimate.
City officials said broader industry conditions, including supply chain pressures, labor markets, and overall economic factors, have contributed to rising infrastructure costs nationwide.
Staff plans to conduct additional outreach with contractors to better understand what is driving the pricing differences.
As a result, the project is no longer expected to begin construction this summer, as previously planned.
Despite the setback, officials emphasized the project remains a priority and is fully designed, permitted, and ready to proceed once funding and cost challenges are addressed.
“At this point, it’s truly shovel-ready,” Assistant City Manager Ryan Moore said. “If we don’t move forward from here, it would be extremely difficult to get a project like this back to this stage in the future. This project remains a priority for the City and our regional partners as we work through funding challenges and move it forward.”
The project has been in development since 2012, advancing through environmental review, design, permitting, and funding coordination.
Plans call for a new bridge featuring 12-foot shared-use paths for pedestrians and cyclists, wider travel lanes for buses and emergency vehicles, and improved regional trail connections.
The existing I Street Bridge, built in 1911, would remain in place and be converted into a pedestrian and bicycle-only crossing on its upper deck.
City staff is expected to recommend rejecting the current bids due to the cost gap and returning the project to the market after revising bid documents and gathering additional contractor feedback.
That process will include coordination with the Sacramento Transportation Authority, regional partners, and Caltrans, as well as a review of potential scope adjustments. Existing financing plans remain in place as officials refine next steps.
Because of the delay and environmental restrictions that limit in-river construction windows, the earliest possible construction start is now expected to shift to 2027.
Officials said that even with the delay, the project’s advanced design and permitting status remain significant advantages, warning that prolonged pauses could make it difficult to return the project to its current stage of readiness.
ABC10: Watch, Download, Read
1
/
12