Freedom Bridge plans detail $39.9 million contract, construction timeline

Lake Havasu City’s planned second route to the Island comes with a $39.92 million construction contract and a schedule allowing 548 days from the notice to proceed to substantial completion, according to city records.

The City Council approved the construction contract with Ames Construction on Aug. 25. The agreement sets a guaranteed maximum price of $39,921,502.30 for the construction phase of the bridge and roadway project.

The city scheduled an Oct. 13 groundbreaking for Freedom Bridge, describing the project as an additional route for emergency access and evacuation between the Island and mainland. The new connecting street is named Freedom Avenue.

For residents, the work will extend beyond the bridge itself. The contract’s scope and schedule place the crossing north of London Bridge, with roadway connections at London Bridge Road and McCulloch Boulevard. The priced plan uses stop-controlled intersections; the roundabout alternative is excluded from that price.

The same document anticipates road restrictions and closures for utility work, intersection construction and deliveries of major equipment and steel girders. It requires traffic-control plans and detour routes for closures. It also anticipates some nighttime work, including concrete pours and installation of bridge girders. Those provisions describe construction requirements, not a dated closure notice.

The city says it received $35.5 million in state funding for the project’s study, design and construction. That allocation and the $39.92 million construction contract are different figures: the council’s funding report lists the state appropriation alongside city water, wastewater and drainage funds. It attributes those local funds to the project’s utility and drainage work.

A separate item on the Oct. 13 council agenda seeks approval of a right-of-way across the south end of Lake Havasu State Park. The staff report traces that arrangement to a 1997 agreement with Arizona State Parks and Trails, most recently renewed in 2019.

Staff describe the right-of-way as the step that would allow completion of the bridge and connecting streets, giving the Island a second way on and off and improving traffic flow.