Bids accepted for two county construction projects

Though winter weather conditions can slow travel and force people to cancel plans, they haven’t stopped Wright County from moving forward with financial business and plans for later in the year. On Monday, the board of supervisors accepted bids for two projects that will improve county roadways this summer.

 County Engineer Adam Clemons presented the board of supervisors with bids for project FM-C099(84)–55-99, which will improve a stream crossing on C20 west of the intersection with R38, near St. Olaf Lutheran Church. “It’s a very rickety old crossing we’ve had some issues with,” Clemons said. He recommended that the supervisors accept the low bid of $344,291.43 from Peterson Contractors Inc. out of Reinbeck, Iowa, for the 14x14 culvert.

Next, the board considered bids on Project FM-C099(83) –55-99, which will repave R45 between Highway 3 and 185th street—a 3.5 mile stretch—and widen the shoulders on both sides to five feet. This will help facilitate safe walking and bike travel between Clarion and Lake Cornelia, though Clemons said the shoulders would not technically be a walking trail or bike path. “For that, we would either have to put a barrier out there, or have 8-12 feet of separation from the travelled lane,” he said. The low bid was from Heartland Asphalt out of Mason City for $1,119,219.57.

For more county business, see the February 2 edition of the Monitor.