Woodland City Council members, city staff and construction workers participated in the groundbreaking ceremony for the Sports Park Drive Pedestrian Overcrossing Project Tuesday in Woodland.

The project consists of the design and construction of a bicycle and pedestrian crossing over State Route 113 along the alignment of Sports Park Drive to Farmers Central Road.

"The important thing about this overcrossing is that it will provide a bridge to help unite our community," Mayor Tom Stallard said. "Highway 113 divides our community from North to South."

The $5.2 million construction contract has been debated in City Council meetings for its high price tag, particularly in the last year with many still struggling due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"I saw that it wan an increase of more than $1 million of what we were originally talking about," Councilwoman Tania Garcia-Cadena said during an August City Council meeting. "I think this is a wonderful project but I just don't know if this is the time to be building it."

The total budget of the project adds up to $7.6 million, which Brent Meyer, community development director for Woodland, said is in part due to the cost of hiring skilled people who know how to build bridges.

"This is considered specialty work," he noted during the August meeting. "These projects require bridge structural background so we are paying a bit more because of their specialty nature in training and work."

The council adopted a resolution appropriating additional funds, approving a consultant services agreement and approving a construction contract for the project with only one no vote from Garcia-Cadena.

Although the timeline might change, city officials are hoping to finish this project by spring 2023.

"This pedestrian and bike bridge will make it possible for residents on both sides to get where they need to go without having to fight traffic on Gibson overpass," Stallard emphasized. "While it is expensive to build, it is important to have for the benefit of all."