Three contractors have submitted Statements of Qualification for the City of Tacoma’s Pedestrian Crossings Improvement Project, a $2.5 million project that will identify, evaluate, upgrade, and in some instances create new pedestrian crosswalks throughout Tacoma.

According to a legal notice published last month in the Tacoma Daily Index, the project calls for street improvements such as crosswalk striping, curb ramp and sidewalk construction, curbing and drainage improvements, limited paving, vehicle/bike/pedestrian detection, pedestrian-activated flashing beacons, lighting, signing, and accessibility upgrades to existing traffic signals, among others.

The City is rolling out a two-phase process for selecting a contractor for the project — first asking for Statements of Qualification from contractors in order to create a short-list of qualified companies, then later issuing a Request for Proposals to the short-listed contractors.

The deadline for contractors to submit Statements of Qualification expired at 11 a.m. on Tues., May 13. According to the City of Tacoma’s Web site, the following contractors submitted proposals: Tucci & Sons (Tacoma, Wash.); BCRA (Tacoma, Wash.); and Johansen Excavating, Inc. (Buckley, Wash.).

The City is directing approximately $300,000 from the General Fund to each of the five Tacoma City Council districts, and an additional $1 million within the downtown area, for project improvements identified by community members during public meetings held in March and April.