Paving bids opened

Dunkirk, Portland and Redkey received bids well under budget Monday for local paving projects funded largely by Community Crossings grants.

Brooks Construction of Fort Wayne was low bidder for paving and sidewalk contracts in Dunkirk and Redkey, while Milestone of Portland came in with the lowest bid for Portland paving work.

Milestone and Brooks Construction were the only contractors to bid on any paving work.

Three-fourths of each paving contract will be paid via a Community Crossings grant from the Indiana Department of Transportation. As a result, Portland, Dunkirk and Redkey will only have to pay $162,212.50, $66,438.25 and $29,330, respectively, for their contracts.

Brooks Construction came in with the lowest bid for Dunkirk work at $265,753, nearly $61,000 less than Milestone’s bid and $17,000 less than what the city budgeted for.

Mayor Jack Robbins said the low bid was “fantastic” and will allow Dunkirk to patch other roads and water and sewer leaks this year as needed.

Dunkirk is the lone city in Jay County to contract sidewalk work via the grant program this year as sidewalk and ramps will be installed next to south Franklin Street between Lincoln and Oak streets in addition to pavement work along that same stretch.

Indiana Street will be paved in addition to Chestnut Street, Center Street between Broad Street and the Moose lot, North Street between Meridian and Broad streets and Railroad Street between Main and Broad streets.

A $648,850 contract, the largest of the three, was awarded to Milestone for work in Portland, which planned a $903,965 budget for the

job. Milestone’s bid was $13,000 less than Brooks Construction’s bid.

Asphalt milling and paving is expected to begin this summer on Boston Street until it turns into Arch Street, from that point until it intersects with Morton Street, in addition to Glen Street between Votaw and North streets, Middle Street in its entirety and Green Park Drive near Blaine Pike.

Portland Mayor John Boggs commented after the city council meeting Monday of his pleasure with the bid, which was around 72% of what the city budgeted for the job.

Redkey also received a lower than expected bid from Brooks Construction, which was at $117,320, $14,157 less than Milestone’s bid and $42,680 less than what it budgeted for.

Stretches of Redkey’s Main Street east of Railroad Street will be paved in its entirety in addition to High Street between George and Butler streets and Butler Street between High and Bell streets.

Unused grant funding because of the low bids will go back to the state as it does not give cities and towns the option of adding additional streets to their projects.

Low bids will be forwarded to engineers and city/town attorneys for their review.

They will then be presented to the appropriate governmental group for approval at their next meeting.