Auburn’s Lake Avenue bridge price tag has ballooned past $10 million after engineers uncovered deeper structural problems, according to The Citizen.
Auburn originally expected a roughly $5 million rehabilitation, backed by a major state grant. On-site inspections later showed the bridge was in worse shape than state reports suggested, forcing repeated cost increases over five years.
City leaders paused the project to chase more state and federal aid but came up empty. Auburn now plans to cover about $5.7 million through bonds and state touring route funds. Officials say rehabilitating the bridge beats a $15 million replacement and avoids future safety flags.
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