County roads slated for repair

More road construction, on county roads this time, is in store for the Sidney area.

At yesterday's commissioner meeting, County Highway Superintendent Tom Noel informed the board of plans for a maintenance asphalt overlay on County Highway 19A for some three miles west of Sidney and County Road 20 along approximately three miles west of Highway 19.

The job received two bids. Werner Construction's total price was around $940,000. Simon Contractors put in a bid at about $860,000.

"I was surprised," Noel said. "I thought that it would be the other way around."

Noel and the commissioners all expressed confusion about the $80,000 difference in pricing.

The work on Highway 19A will start at the western edge of Sidney, laying down 7,000 tons of asphalt three inches deep. Work on County Road 20 will include 4,300 tons of asphalt two inches deep.

County commissioner Ken McMillen wondered how these projects compared in price to what the county completed in past years. Noel explained that this plan was a little more expensive than previous work because the contractor was picking up more of the tasks.

Accordingly, the contractor will be completing $7,000 worth of striping on the roads, and the company will do all the flagging as well.

"Its certainly a no-brainer as far as price is concerned," said county commissioner Harold Winkelman.

Noel added that Simon is a good contractor to deal with.

"They've done some pretty good work," Noel said.

McMillen expressed concern about what the county was planning to do to repair the road underneath Interstate 80 on County Road 20. That particular part of the road needed the most work, McMillen commented.

"It's going to take a little bit to tear it out and do it," Noel said. "It's going to add quite a bit more to it."

Those present discussed trouble that might come from work underneath the interstate. This work would hold up traffic to and from Dinklage Feed Yards, which is located on County Road 20, if the entire road was closed. There would also be logistical issues if the county closed one side of the road at a time. McMillen was insistent that something needed to be done about that particular section of road.

"It's been a disaster," McMillen said.

Noel said he would consider tearing out the existing road and replacing it.

"It's going to change the cost some on this," Noel said.

This section of road would have to be proposed in a separate project than those currently on the table, Winkelman said. If this was done, the pricing for the current project would shrink a small amount.

"It would take a little bit off of this one, but not much," Noel said.

Noel mentioned that this project would involve extra equipment costs.

"We're fixing the rest of it right," McMillen said. "And the worst part of it, we're putting a patch on it."

Winkelman agreed with McMillen.

"Let's do it right if we're going to do it," Winkelman said.

The county would probably be able to afford higher clearance underneath the interstate if this part of the road was re-done, Noel added. He also assured the council that if the county completely re worked the road with concrete, it would last for quite a while.

"If we do this, we won't have to patch it for as long as I'm here," Noel said.

Noel did express a need to close off the entire road to get the project completed in a more timely manner.

"It'd be a whole lot easier if I could close it and tear it out for three or four days," Noel said. "Than it will be to try to do half of it."

Noel informed that commissioners that he would work to figure out the cost of tearing out and re-paving the section underneath the interstate.

The commissioners discussed the possibility of asking Dinklage to reroute traffic during construction time.

"Does that hinge on Dinklage moving their traffic?" county commissioner Steven Olsen asked.

Noel assured the commissioners that if this new project was approved, the county would do it no matter what logistic problems it caused.

"No," Noel said. "We'll do it one way or the other."

In the meantime, the commissioners approved Simons Contractor's bid for work on county Highway 19A and County Road 20.