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http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/government/engineers-release-cost-estimates-for-arkansas-river-infrastructure-plans/article_66e93d2c-0b58-515c-9c19-36f331ee082d.htmlEngineers release cost estimates for Arkansas River infrastructure plans
The $316 million tab will likely be pared down, a councilor says.
Posted: Friday, May 1, 2015 12:00 am
By JARREL WADE World Staff Writer
A group of engineers representing Arkansas River communities released an exhaustive report Thursday estimating costs associated with several low-water dams that could be part of a proposal headed to voters later this year.
The report includes estimates for parks, beaches, pedestrian bridges and even a manufactured island as possible projects attached to three new low-water dams along the Arkansas River and an overhaul of Tulsa’s Zink Dam.
All totaled, the estimate comes to more than $316 million, but Tulsa City Councilor G.T. Bynum, who leads the task force looking at recommending an eventual proposal to voters, said he expects the final project to cost much less.
Bynum said the engineering report encompasses all possible projects, including roughly $100 million in amenities at the dams that he expects to be pared down.
“This is not a proposal,” Bynum said about the report. “This is raw information for the task force to come up with a proposal.”
The report, made by Murry Fleming, vice president of CH2M Hill, was the result of several months of work among engineers from Tulsa, Jenks, Sand Springs and Bixby.
The bulk of the estimates call for about $200 million to construct three new low-water dams in Sand Springs, Jenks and Bixby, and a rebuild of Tulsa’s Zink Dam.
Other required costs include bank stabilization, environment preservation and permitting, which add more than $18 million to the basic cost of adding the dams.
The rest, almost $100 million to reach the grand total of $316 million, is estimated for recreation and public access, according to the report.
Annual operation of the dams is estimated to cost communities a total of $520,000 per year, which is built into the total cost estimates.
Operation and maintenance of the parks is estimated to cost about $1 million per year, according to the report.
Also built into the cost are an annual sinking fund of about $800,000 per year to cover eventual dam repair and maintenance, Fleming said.
The designs for the low-water dams call for a system of steel gates on hinges — called an Obermeyer Gate — that rise vertically when a large rubber bladder at its base is inflated, as previously reported.
The hinges connect the steel gate to the foundation of the dam, forming a wall when the downstream bladder fills and lowering the gate’s profile when the bladder deflates.
County Commissioner Karen Keith said the cost estimates for the parks and amenities excited her.
“I know that’s going to bring up the price tag considerably,” Keith said. “But it gives us an opportunity to think big.”
Mike Neal, CEO and president of the Tulsa Regional Chamber, said Thursday’s report provided the group a strong foundation for public engagement this summer and the anticipated final proposal some time in the fall.
“It gives us a strong business plan and blueprint for development, with the information we need to confidently move forward.”
Jarrel Wade 918-581-8367
jarrel.wade@tulsaworld.com