Supervisors accept culvert bid

MARENGO — Iowa County Supervisors accepted a bid of $48,139 last week from Contech Engineered Solutions for a culvert needed for a fall project.

The county will replace a 10-ton bridge on 150th west of I Avenue with a metal culvert this year.

Metal Culverts Inc. submitted two bids. It’s initial bid for a culvert that met specs set by the county was $64,999, but Contech doesn’t make a culvert of the specified size, said Iowa County Engineer Nick Amelon.

Contech bid for a culvert of a slightly different dimension but the same square footage, Amelon said. That bid was $48,139.

Amelon gave Metal Culverts a chance to bid on the alternate size. That bid came in at $68,728, still above the Contech bid.

“I looked at everything,” said Amelon, including the guage of steel. “It’s the same.”

The culvert will be 15 ½ feet by 18 feet, has a floor and an arch, said Amelon. It’s similar to reinforced concrete but costs half the price.

It also lasts half as long, Amelon said. Concrete has a life of about 65 years while the aluminum will last about 35 years.

The aluminum culverts take less time to install, Amelon said, so the county can replace bridges in less time. The aluminum culverts have no load limits, he said.