UMA Engineering will be designing the proposed bridge in Dawson City that will cross the Yukon River.

The territorial government announced Tuesday afternoon it has awarded the contract to UMA's Edmonton office for $540,000.

While UMAs bid came in at approximately $1.2 million, Robin Walsh, the territory's director of engineering, pointed out this morning the bid was for design and supervising the construction of the bridge.

After the seven bids were in though, the government opted not to include the construction supervision as part of the bid.

Walsh explained it hasn't been decided how the construction will happen whether it will be through the conventional method of bids or through a public-private partnership.

'We didn't want to jump too far ahead of ourselves,' he said.

The government is in talks with the Tr'ondek Hwech'in First Nation from the Dawson area about how it might be involved with the project.

Under the agreement between UMA and the government, the company will review preliminary designs from the mid-1990s of a proposed Dawson bridge, review whether to use steel or concrete and prepare final designs that will bring the project to the tender stage for construction.

Walsh said UMA must complete the work by next March 31.

Six other bids, which included the supervision work, came in on the project including:

• N.D. Lee of Vancouver for $955,670;

• Earth Tech of Vancouver for $999,070;

• Delcan of Calgary for $1.1 million;

• Associated Engineers of Burnaby, B.C., for $1.8 million;

• Sandwell of Vancouver for $987,426; and

• Acres International of Oakville, Ont.

The bid amount wasn't opened for Acres International because its proposal didn't meet the technical considerations given to projects before the prices were opened.

Of the seven bids, UMA's was the strongest, with high marks given for experience, project team and methodology.

'This was really not based on price,' Walsh explained.

The company will also be using three local subcontractors: Quest Engineering, Environmental Dynamics and EBA Engineering.

A representative with UMA working on the project was already on his way up to the territory this morning so was unavailable for comment.

Representatives with the territorial Department of Highways and Public Works are planning to hold an open house in Dawson within a few months about the project. They will be looking for public input and feedback about the work.

The government is expecting the entire project to cost approximately $25 million; however opposition parties have tagged the price at closer to $50 million.

The bridge is planned to replace the George Black ferry service running between downtown Dawson and West Dawson and the Top of the World Highway throughout the summer and the ice bridge currently used during the winter.