Politics Transportation & infrastructure · Government

Columbus Awards $1.03 Million Contract for Downtown Concrete Bus Pads

The City of Columbus awarded the local-let transit infrastructure contract to Decker Construction Company.

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Physical construction on the City of Columbus’s downtown transit bus pad upgrade project is scheduled for completion on Friday, Oct. 30. The municipal initiative replaces deteriorating asphalt pavement with reinforced concrete bus pads at bus stops throughout downtown Columbus to withstand heavy transit vehicle traffic. The City of Columbus awarded the $1,033,130.13 local-let construction contract for the FRA Downtown Concrete Bus Pads project to Decker Construction Company contract award. For downtown commuters, transit riders, and drivers, the upcoming milestone marks the conclusion of active street work and traffic lane restrictions that have accompanied installations since early summer.

The capital improvement project is designated in state records as project identification number 121652 and State Project 26N217, with the City of Columbus serving as both the sponsoring agency and the design agency project details. Regional funding for the upgrades was programmed through the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission. Under Resolution T-3-25, MORPC-Attributable Funding Commitments, line 427 commits $1,175,024 in SFY 2026 funding for PID 121652, Columbus Concrete Bus Pad Upgrades reconstruction funding commitment line. The planning agency identifies the funding under its regional transit commitments across the metropolitan planning area.

State records outline a four-month physical construction timeline following municipal procurement. The City of Columbus awarded the contract on May 6, 2026 contract award date. Decker Construction began physical roadway construction on June 24, 2026, mobilizing crews across central business district boarding zones to excavate and pour the concrete pads. Under contract schedule milestones, Decker Construction is scheduled to conclude physical construction on Friday, Oct. 30.

The bus pad upgrades address severe pavement deterioration caused by heavy transit vehicles at boarding stops. City transit buses exert concentrated axle loads that place recurring stress on street surfaces when decelerating, idling at curbs, and pulling away into traffic lanes. Under flexible asphalt pavement, this repetitive stationary and braking weight pushes the surface material outward, creating deep wheel-path ruts, bumps, and pavement shoving. Pavement rutting accelerates during summer heat, leading to uneven curbside boarding conditions for bus passengers and hazardous road depressions for other motorists. Replacing asphalt with rigid Portland cement concrete bus pads distributes heavy vehicle weights across a broader subgrade area, eliminating pavement deformation and providing a durable, stable surface designed to endure years of bus traffic.

While Decker Construction is scheduled to conclude physical work on Friday, Oct. 30, the project will then move into municipal closeout before the city formally closes the books. The Oct. 30 contract milestone marks the conclusion of on-street physical construction, including concrete pouring, curing, pavement restoration, and the removal of traffic lane restrictions. Municipal closeout represents a separate administrative and engineering phase conducted by the City of Columbus. During closeout, city inspectors review punch-list items, verify concrete compressive strength test results against engineering specifications, reconcile final placed quantities against the $1.03 million contract amount, and complete formal municipal acceptance of the upgraded transit stops.

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How we know this

The sources and records behind this story, with the facts they support.

  1. Project · GIS_ID · 84234

    https://tims.dot.state.oh.us/ags/rest/services/Projects/Current_Projects_Points/MapServer/0

    Published · Accessed

    Supporting evidence (3)
    • The City of Columbus awarded the $1,033,130.13 local-let construction contract for the FRA Downtown Concrete Bus Pads project to Decker Construction Company contract award.

      Read supporting passage
      Project · GIS_ID · 84234 AWARD_MILESTONE_DT: 2026-05-06 BEGIN_CONSTR_MILESTONE_DT: 1782273600000 CONSTR_VENDOR_NME: DECKER CONSTRUCTION COMPANY COUNTY_NME: Franklin DESIGN_AGENCY: Columbus, City of END_CONSTR_MILESTONE_DT: 1793332800000 EST_TOTAL_CONSTR_COST: 1033130.13 FISCAL_YEAR: 2026 GIS_ID: 84234 LOCALE_SHORT_NME: FRA LOCAL_FUNDS_IND: N MAJOR_NEW_FUNDS_IND: N MPO_FUNDS_IND: Y ODOT_LETTING: Local Let PID_NBR: 121652 PRIMARY_WORK_CATEGORY: Transit PROJECT_NME: FRA Downtown Concrete Bus Pads PROJECT_PLANS_URL: http://contracts.dot.state.oh.us/search.jsp?cabinetId=1002&PID_NUM=121652 PROJECT_STATUS: Awarded SAFETY_FUNDS_IND: N SPONSORING_AGENCY: Columbus, City of STATE_PROJECT_NBR: 26N217
    • The capital improvement project is designated in state records as project identification number 121652 and State Project 26N217, with the City of Columbus serving as both the sponsoring agency and the design agency project details.

      Read supporting passage
      Project · GIS_ID · 84234 AWARD_MILESTONE_DT: 2026-05-06 BEGIN_CONSTR_MILESTONE_DT: 1782273600000 CONSTR_VENDOR_NME: DECKER CONSTRUCTION COMPANY COUNTY_NME: Franklin DESIGN_AGENCY: Columbus, City of END_CONSTR_MILESTONE_DT: 1793332800000 EST_TOTAL_CONSTR_COST: 1033130.13 FISCAL_YEAR: 2026 GIS_ID: 84234 LOCALE_SHORT_NME: FRA LOCAL_FUNDS_IND: N MAJOR_NEW_FUNDS_IND: N MPO_FUNDS_IND: Y ODOT_LETTING: Local Let PID_NBR: 121652 PRIMARY_WORK_CATEGORY: Transit PROJECT_NME: FRA Downtown Concrete Bus Pads PROJECT_PLANS_URL: http://contracts.dot.state.oh.us/search.jsp?cabinetId=1002&PID_NUM=121652 PROJECT_STATUS: Awarded SAFETY_FUNDS_IND: N SPONSORING_AGENCY: Columbus, City of STATE_PROJECT_NBR: 26N217
    • The City of Columbus awarded the contract on May 6, 2026 contract award date.

      Read supporting passage
      Project · GIS_ID · 84234 AWARD_MILESTONE_DT: 2026-05-06 BEGIN_CONSTR_MILESTONE_DT: 1782273600000 CONSTR_VENDOR_NME: DECKER CONSTRUCTION COMPANY COUNTY_NME: Franklin DESIGN_AGENCY: Columbus, City of END_CONSTR_MILESTONE_DT: 1793332800000 EST_TOTAL_CONSTR_COST: 1033130.13 FISCAL_YEAR: 2026 GIS_ID: 84234 LOCALE_SHORT_NME: FRA LOCAL_FUNDS_IND: N MAJOR_NEW_FUNDS_IND: N MPO_FUNDS_IND: Y ODOT_LETTING: Local Let PID_NBR: 121652 PRIMARY_WORK_CATEGORY: Transit PROJECT_NME: FRA Downtown Concrete Bus Pads PROJECT_PLANS_URL: http://contracts.dot.state.oh.us/search.jsp?cabinetId=1002&PID_NUM=121652 PROJECT_STATUS: Awarded SAFETY_FUNDS_IND: N SPONSORING_AGENCY: Columbus, City of STATE_PROJECT_NBR: 26N217
  2. Page 32

    www.morpc.org

    Accessed

    Supporting evidence (2)
    • Under Resolution T-3-25, MORPC-Attributable Funding Commitments, line 427 commits $1,175,024 in SFY 2026 funding for PID 121652, Columbus Concrete Bus Pad Upgrades reconstruction funding commitment line.

      Read supporting passage
      Resolution T-3-25 - Attachment 1 MORPC-Attributable Funding Commitments
    • Under Resolution T-3-25, MORPC-Attributable Funding Commitments, line 427 commits $1,175,024 in SFY 2026 funding for PID 121652, Columbus Concrete Bus Pad Upgrades reconstruction funding commitment line.

      Read supporting passage
      427 121652 Columbus Concrete Bus Pad Upgrades, , Reconstruction 2026 $1,175,024 $1,175,024
  3. Page 33

    www.morpc.org

    Accessed

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