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Show Stillwater Tunnel job awarded at $34.5 million A contract has been awarded for the Millwater Tunnel of the Central Utah Project, Secretary of the Interior James Watt announced Monday. The $34.5 million contract to Traylor Brothers Inc. and Fruin-Colnon Contracting Con-tracting Co., a joint venture with headquarters head-quarters in Evansville, Ind., culminates more than 18 months of research to determine the best contractor. contrac-tor. Watt said. Not only was the joint venture the lowest offer, but it received the highest rating by the technical committee as well, he said. The contractor is expected to begin excavating and lining the remaining 6 5 miles of the 8 mile tunnel about May 1, with completion scheduled for spring The tunnel is 40 miles west of Duchesne The precedent selling conlract is the first time in the Bureau of Reclamation's Reclama-tion's near-80-year history that a contract con-tract award has been based on a performance-type specification for construction con-struction work. This type of contract provides an incentive in-centive profit inducement to the contractor con-tractor for efficient and cost -effect ive construction management. It is expected ex-pected to minimize the risk factor and high-cost contingencies that contractors contrac-tors must include in their offers lo handle han-dle high-risk construction projects. Watt said. Construction of Stillwater Tunnel began in January 1!(77. but the contract was terminated in August 1!I79 when the mechanical mole used was unable, because of site conditions, lo complete the excavation. |