OWENSVILLE —The city of Owensville is making progress on the Rock Island Trail as it enters phase two, having awarded the engineering contract to Howe Company, LLC.

Owensville officials have been planning improvements to the city’s portion of the trail for several years. The trailhead, just west of City Hall, now features a new flagpole and a record-setting horseshoe sculpture and future plans include restroom facilities and ADA-compliant sidewalks linking the trail to the library.

Some of that work is tied to a Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant from the Missouri Department of Transportation awarded last September.

Owensville’s grant award totals $363,369 with $290,695 in federal funding and a local match of $72,674.

This phase of the project includes the conversion of about .84 miles of the Rock Island Railroad corridor from Route Y to the western city limits to a pedestrian and bicycle aggregate trail. Also included is construction of a trailhead information kiosk and two-unit heated restroom at the Rock Island Trailhead located adjacent to the City Hall.

Under the contract, the engineer will handle planning, design and construction oversight. Design services, including work through the contract award stage, will be billed at actual costs plus $3,568.11, with a maximum of $35,570. Construction services will be billed at actual costs plus $5,139.80, up to $43,610. Any major changes will require a supplemental agreement.

“Actual costs” cover employee salaries and benefits, overhead, travel and lodging, equipment, printing, surveying, computer time, and subcontracted work.

During the design phase of the project, the engineer will conduct property and utility surveys to develop and provide copies of preliminary plans, estimates and studies for review by the city and Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT). The engineer will also coordinate opportunities for public input, assist with advertising and documenting those opportunities and upload project information to MoDOT’s Request for Environmental Review. Site visits will be performed to field-check the plans and to identify trees that may have bark and features suitable for bat habitat, with a photo log documenting locations.

The engineer will prepare and submit applications for permits related to water quality, coordinating with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and will handle flood development permits or No-Rise certificates for county approval as required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Applications for permits related to noise abatement and air quality may also be submitted if needed. A Section 106 Project Information form, USGS map and photographs will be submitted to MoDNR to seek Section 106 clearance and a consultant will be arranged and paid to perform a Phase 1 cultural resource survey and report. The engineer will contact utility companies identified by Missouri One Call or with marked facilities, provide them with project plans, request relocation or accommodation plans, meet on site if needed and coordinate execution of utility agreements.

Finally, the engineer will prepare detailed project documents — including plans, cost estimates, appraisal forms, specifications and related materials — necessary to obtain authorization from MoDOT to advertise for construction bids. PDF versions of the final plans, specifications and engineer’s estimate will be submitted to MoDOT on behalf of the city to secure construction authorization. Progress invoices will be prepared for the design and bidding phase, with second and subsequent invoices including proof of payment as required.

During the bidding phase, the engineer will coordinate with the city to set up the bid opening once construction authorization is received from MoDOT. This includes updating the project manual with the bid date, time and wage rates, sending a PDF of the bid documents and advertisement to the MoDOT local liaison for review and furnishing hard copies and PDFs of plans to those who request and pay for them. Addenda will be issued as necessary to address any changes.

The engineer will attend the bid opening, assist with opening and reading the bids and review the submissions to prepare a bid tabulation, ensuring the bidders’ math is correct. Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) information will be collected from the required bidders as part of the process.

The engineer will prepare a request for concurrence submission, review the bids with the local agency, obtain signatures on the concurrence letter and scan and send the completed packet to MoDOT by email for processing.

During the construction phase, the engineer will serve as the city’s representative to administer the terms of the construction contract. The engineer will assist with a preconstruction conference to discuss project details, make periodic site visits to observe progress and quality of work and accompany MoDOT and FHWA representatives on site visits as requested. While the engineer will help protect the city against defects in workmanship or materials, they are not responsible for the contractor’s construction methods, performance or job site safety.

The engineer’s services include reviewing and approving contractor submittals – such as shop drawings, product data and samples – to ensure general conformance with the design concept and construction documents. They will recommend non-payment for work that does not substantially conform, prepare change orders as needed, review wage rates and postings, visually inspect materials and document quantities. The engineer will be present in critical construction operations including base staking, finish grading of trail base, placement of aggregate materials, installation of the restroom facility and a check of final cross slope. They will also participate in the final inspection and provide project documentation and record plans to the city.

Additionally, the engineer will conduct interviews with contractor employees every two weeks, review certified payrolls against contract wage rates, perform commercially useful function interviews with DBE subcontractors and prepare progress invoices for the construction phase. These efforts ensure proper oversight and documentation throughout the duration of the project while maintaining clear boundaries of responsibility between the engineer and contractor.

Certain services are explicitly excluded from the engineer’s scope and would require a supplemental agreement and additional fee if needed. These exclusions include efforts to survey or inventory bats or other endangered species as well as studies, evaluations or delineations of potential wetlands and the design, development or coordination of wetland mitigation plans. Preparation and review of land valuations and appraisals, surveying or redesign to avoid utility conflicts after preliminary plans and design of utility relocations required for utility agreements are also not included.

Excluded services further cover preparation and submission of documentation for in-kind work by county forces, mitigation of adverse effects on archaeological sites beyond a phase 1 survey and mitigation related to existing bridges, including historical research, reports and archival documentation. Daily site visits during periods when no critical work is being performed and testing of embankment material for moisture or compaction are also outside the engineer’s responsibilities.

One year later in January 2027, preliminary and right-of-way plans are to be submitted, if applicable. Plans, specifications and estimate submissions will follow which are slated to be ready by April 2027 with approval in June. The required construction contract award is expected to be completed Sept. 1, 2027.