Work on a second phase of the Hike-Bike Trail Extension project is set to begin later this month now that Ark City commissioners have approved an updated funding agreement with the Kansas Dept. of Transportation.
The agreement, approved this week, will reduce the city’s portion of the project’s cost. New section of the trail will run from Paris Park Pool to West Lincoln Ave. and continue to the Cowley Sports Complex.
The revised agreement will save the city more than $341,000, city officials said. Under the original 2021 deal, federal funding was capped, and the City had to pay any extra costs beyond that cap, plus a 20 percent match.
The updated agreement removes the cap and KDOT will now cover 80 percent of all construction and construction engineering costs, with no maximum. The city will still pay its 20 percent share, along with early planning and utility costs.
The project’s lowest bid came from Prado Construction LLC, at $1,476,822. Under the old agreement, the city would have paid about $636,731, but with the new agreement, the city will pay only around $295,364.
City officials reviewed the agreement and found no legal or financial issues.
Due to a tight KDOT deadline, the mayor signed the agreement early. The commission’s June 3 vote officially approved that action.
