The Miami Beach Association opened bids on Tuesday for a sewer system, but higher-than-expected costs have cast doubts on the project’s future. The minimum bid for internal work was $13.6 million — 62% more expensive than the $8.4 million estimated by the consulting firm Fuss & O’Neill, according to data shared by Steve Cinami, chair of the Old Lyme Water and Pollution Control Authority. These bids do not include alternatives like a helical pile support system and different paving options. According to Fuss & O’Neill’s calculations shared by Cinami, the cost per equivalent dwelling unit in Miami Beach was about $51,580, about $20,000 higher than the estimated cost for Sound View and Area B residents. With this week’s bids, these costs would be even higher. Balzac Contractors submitted the lowest bid, followed by Colonna Concrete and Asphalt Paving, Genovese Construction and C.J. Fucci Construction.

Old Lyme Sewer Projects Faces Uncertainty as Miami Beach Bids Come in Higher Than Expected