Iowa County accepts rock bids

MARENGO — Iowa County Supervisors approved bids for rock for farm-to-market and rural roads last week.

The prices were about 6% higher than a year ago, said Iowa County Engineer Nick Amelon. That’s about $30,000 more the county will spend on rock.

“We get the same amount of local money,” said Amelon. Does the county want the secondary roads department to use 6% less rock or does it want to reduce other areas of service? he asked.

“We’ll make due this year,” Amelon said but rock prices go up about the same every year.

“Our number one phone call is about roads,” said Supervisor Abby Maas.

Four companies submitted bids for rock, and the Board of Supervisors approved the low bids for each district in the county.

The board approved low bids for rock for farm-to-market roads from Wendling for $21.04 per ton for district 101; for $18.95 for district 102; for $19.95 for district 103; and for $19.24 for district 104.

River Products had the low bids for district 105 ($21.20), district 106 ($19.75), district 107 ($18.20) and district 110 ($19.60).

Bids from Douds were accepted for district 108 ($21.59) and district 109 ($22.88).

For local roads, Douds had the low bid for 108 and 109 at $21.82 and $23.08; River Products was awarded bids for $21.20 for district 105, $19.75 for 106; $18.20 for 107 and $19.60 for 110;

Wendling got the rock bid for district 101 ($21.04), for 102 ($18.95), 103 ($19.95) and 104 ($19.24).

Supervisors also approved bids for bridge projects and a paving project.

Peterson Contractors Inc. submitted the only bid for the project, the first for $638,433, about 8.3% over Amelon’s estimate.

“I think we just have to accept it,” said Amelon, as the county received only one bid.

“And maybe my estimate is wrong too,” said Amelon.

The bridge is currently posted at 10 tons, the county engineer said.

PCI came in under Amelon’s estimate of $653,000 for a bridge on HH Avenue between 1180th and 190th. Supervisors accepted PCI’s bid of $627.028.

“PCI does good work for us,” Amelon said.

LL Pelling was awarded the contract for a paving project near Millersburg. Amelon estimated the cost of the project at $2.521 million, and Pelling’s low bid was for $2.39 million.

The three bids were within $220,000 of each other, said Amelon.