Conservation Board announces Kewash construction plans

The Washington County Conservation Board agreed to a bid for Phase 2 of the Kewash Trail Project at its meeting Thursday night.

A news release from WCCB on Tuesday said the project will be completed through a partnership with MSA Professional Services, and would upgrade the trail’s surface.

“Phase 2 of the project includes regrading the trail’s existing lime surfacing to accommodate a 10-foot-wide concrete trail with grass shoulders on each side,” the release said. “The WCCB and MSA intend to take every precaution necessary to preserve the tree canopy present within this specific section of the Kewash Trail.”

The 1.4 mile stretch from Willow Pond to Crooked Creek Bridge will be closed during the construction, which is scheduled to run from Aug. 16 to spring of next year, according to the news release.

Conservation Executive Director Zach Rozmus said he was satisfied with the bid from DeLong Construction.

“I was joking with a member from the city of Washington earlier this week that we always want DeLong to bid on our projects,” he said. “They’re still making money on it because we want them to continue to be in business, but we also want it to be low enough where it’s going to be a really good number for us. I’m glad that we’ve had that relationship for a long time.”

While Rozmus said initial estimates for the project were around $600,000, the resolution approved DeLong’s bid for under $546,500.

“The second lowest bidder, there was about a $200,000 difference,” Rozmus said. “That shows you what the gap was between the two entities.”

Rozmus said the project would be paid from the conservation board’s accounts, heavily supplemented by a $317,000 contribution from a federal Transportation Alternative Program fund and a $25,000 grant from the Wellmark Foundation.

The Conservation Board application for a $133,000 Riverboat Foundation Grant had not yet received a response, but Rozmus remained optimistic, saying he thought the proposal was “competitive.”