The bids were not looking good Tuesday for the Kingfisher Trail bridge across Silver Creek.

Five companies met the deadline to submit proposals to design, build and install a 110-foot span to link the new trail along the Etowah River in South Rome to the existing Silver Creek Trail.

Rome Purchasing Director Bill Gilliland said all five plans topped the $160,000 budget for the project, although there could be some room for compromise.

“The nice thing about proposals is, if they provide a Cadillac we do have the ability to negotiate for a Chevrolet if it works,” he said.

Companies in the running to supply the bridge and their offers included:

Rogers Bridge Co. Inc., of Atlanta, $805,000; Vaughn & Melton of Asheville, N.C., $545,050; Pinson’s Inc. of Rome, $399,400; Lewallen Construction of Marietta, $293,000 and Simpson Bridge Co., of Charleston, Tenn., $440,000.

County officials said the complexity of the project means it won’t necessarily be awarded to the lowest bidder.

Click here to see bridge bid documents.

Gilliland said a review team is scheduled to compare the various elements offered. The quality of construction, type of components and track record of each company all carry weight.

“Prices don’t mean much right now,” he said. “We have to make sure we have the project we asked for. We have to figure out what’s the best value.”

Public Works Director Jamie McCord is heading the review team, which includes Gilliland, Community Development Supervisor Bekki Fox and consultant Ron Sitterding.

McCord said he hopes to have a recommendation for the Rome City Commission at its Sept. 20 meeting.

“We do need to move on this quickly, due to the funding sources,” he said.

A combination of state and federal grants have been earmarked more than a year to pay for the new trail. The total budget of $286,214 also includes property acquisition and the construction of retaining walls along the river.