CITIZEN WIRE
Des Moines › Apr 6, 2026 meeting › Item 44

The council approved a $6,124,564.01 contract to rehabilitate the Guthrie Avenue bridge over the Union Pacific Railroad and add a 10-foot sidepath, by a 7–0 vote.

Des Moines City Council · Apr 6, 2026 · Roll call 26-0465

Approved plans and specifications and named Jasper Construction Services, Inc. the lowest responsive, responsible bidder at $6,124,564.01. Moved by Westergaard, seconded by Simonson. Passed 7–0; no members voted no.

How each member voted

OfficialSeatVote
Connie BoesenMayorYes
Carl VossAt-largeYes
Mike SimonsonAt-largeYes
Rob X. BarronWard 1Yes
Linda WestergaardWard 2Yes
Josh MandelbaumWard 3Yes
Joe GattoWard 4Yes

Unanimous votes are shown as-is and are not used to compare officials.

More from the record

The project replaces the bridge deck overlay, expansion joints, barrier walls and medians, repaints the steel, makes structural repairs and adds a 10-foot multi-use sidepath on the south side with railings and fencing. It also rebuilds the Guthrie and Delaware Avenue intersection and replaces its traffic signals. Work will be staged to keep traffic moving each way. Submitted by the City Engineer. Council Communication 26-130 (saved copy)

The alternative

No other options were presented in the record.

Time and getting around

Who
Drivers, walkers and cyclists on Guthrie Avenue at the railroad and at Delaware Avenue
How
Bridge repairs, a new 10-foot sidepath and new signals, built in stages with traffic kept open each way
When
Schedule: Not in the record
Source
Council Communication 26-130 (saved copy)

Money

Who
City capital budget and federal grant
How
$6,124,564.01 (estimate $6,316,803.75), including $2,000,000 in federal STBG funding
When
2025-26 Capital Improvement Program
Source
Council Communication 26-130 (saved copy)

From the official minutes summary: all seven members were present (roll call 26-0416) and only Nays are named, so the rest voted yes.

Source Agenda for the whole meeting, item 44 (saved copy) · Full minutes for the whole Apr 6, 2026 meeting, p. 9 (roll call 26-0465) (saved copy) · Council Communication 26-130 (saved copy)

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Public comment: use the city’s Request to Speak form before 5 PM CT the day before a meeting.
Written comment: City Clerk, cityclerk@dmgov.org, (515) 283-4209. Mention roll call 26-0465.

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6 · Sources

Corrections appear here as dated notes. Nothing is rewritten.