Officials in Tama are continuing efforts to complete a restoration project involving the historic Lincoln Highway Bridge.

At a recent city council meeting, the council voted unanimously in favor of a plan to seek a third round of bidding for construction work to repair the bridge, which is more than a century old.

Two previous bids to repair the project by the city were unsuccessful, which has left the long-term future of the bridge somewhat uncertain.

The option approved at the latest council meeting will shift the procedural work from the thirds round of bidding from the city’s contracted engineering firm to the Iowa DOT.

The project will first be sent to the DOT for review before it is submitted for bids. The process is expected to occur in July with the hope of having a contract awarded in August.

Restoration construction would occur during the 2023 season once the weather warms up for spring.

If the bidding process is unsuccessful again this summer, then the DOT funding for the project could essentially be in jeopardy.