MIDDLEBURY — Middlebury officials on Nov. 19 interviewed three New York-based companies competing for the right to serve as general contractor for the upcoming replacement of the downtown railroad overpasses on Merchants Row and Main Street.
The three companies in the running include:
•  Harrison & Burrowes Bridge Constructors Inc. of Glenmont, N.Y.
•  Tetra Tech Construction of Gloversville, N.Y.
•  The team of Kubricky Construction and ECI of Wilton, N.Y. Kubricky served as contractor for Middlebury’s Cross Street Bridge project.
“The interviews went very well,” said Middlebury Town Manager Kathleen Ramsay, who was among members of a local technical evaluation committee that questioned the companies’ representatives during the day-long interviews.
“All three were well-qualified firms.”
Ramsay said the companies are being evaluated based on technical prowess to do the job. It’s a major job slated to kick off next spring and will result in removal of the two deteriorating overpasses, followed by their replacement by a concrete tunnel, a project estimated at $17 million. The town of Middlebury’s financial exposure for the work will be limited to up to $500,000, with state and federal funds paying the rest.
The committee is expected to recommend a contractor for the town selectboard’s approval on Dec. 10. Hiring of that contractor will be subject to concurrence by the Vermont Agency of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration, according to Ramsay.
The selected firm will first assist engineers in developing design and construction plans for the new tunnel project.