FOLEY — Foley’s pedestrian bridge project could soon be back on schedule after the State Licensing Board agreed to let a general contractor complete the work.

The board had previously told city leaders it was their opinion that the bridge over Highway 59 should be constructed by a company that specializes in bridge construction — instead of by a general contractor — meaning construction could not begin until the matter is settled.

Last week, City Administrator Michael Thompson and Assistant City Engineer Taylor Davis joined representatives from Volkert Engineering and the Morette Company — the project’s general contractor — at a hearing in Montgomery to argue Morette should complete the project.

In late June, the city council approved a bid of $1,515,478 from the Morette Company of Pensacola for the construction of the walkway over Ala. 59 near the intersection with West Jessamine Street in downtown Foley.

Shortly after Morette’s bid was accepted by the city, Thompson said an inspector from the State Licensing Board prevented the project’s start because it was his opinion a bridge building company, and not a general contractor like Morette, should handle the project.

Thompson said the licensing board changed their opinion following last Wednesday’s hearing.

“After the licensing board reviewed documents and information submitted to them by the City Engineer Chad Christian and by the General Contractor (Morette), the board reversed their decision and agreed that a GC is the proper entity to build this project,” Thompson said.

Money for the bridge project comes from a $4.7 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation in 2013, along with a 25 percent match — roughly $1.6 million — from the city.

That total amount — $6.3 million — is being put toward a citywide project called the Foley Transportation Regional Infrastructure Pedestrian System, or Foley TRIPS — aimed at making the city safer and more appealing to pedestrians.

Last week, the board asked the city to be sure to include the Alabama Department of Transportation was involved in the project, since it was crossing a state highway.

Thompson said ALDOT has been, and would continue to be involved in the project.

“The TIGER grant money is a Federal grant which the state acts as the recipient of those funds and the city is the sub-recipient,” Thompson said. “So ALDOT has been involved and informed throughout the project.”

In an earlier interview with The Foley Onlooker, Thompson said the city believed Morette should be able to do the work because the bridge span is only a part of the overall project.

“Our position is that the ‘bridge’ component only represents 13 percent of the project — [which] is why no bridge builder would bid on the project, while the general construction, [including] the two staircases and elevators and other components, make up 87 percent of the project,” Thompson said.

He said he expects the board to send letters to the city and Morette confirming that they

“Morette is prepared to move forward and we appreciate their willingness to see the project through to completion,” Thompson said.