City Council approves Superior Bowen bid for 2025 street improvements at $20.5M

The Overland Park Public Works Committee made significant strides in its latest meeting, approving a major street improvement project with a bid of over $20 million. The committee unanimously recommended the city council award the contract for the 2025 Street Improvement Project Overlay to Superior Bowen Asphalt Company LLC for $20,529,276.78. This decision comes after two consecutive years of receiving only one bid for the project, raising concerns about local market capacity.

Committee members expressed confidence in the selected contractor, noting their previous successful performance. "These guys are under the estimate and they do a good job," one member stated, highlighting the importance of reliable service in the face of limited bidding options.

In addition to the street improvement project, the committee discussed the UBAS (Urban Boulevard Asphalt Surface) program, which also faced a single bidder scenario. Macadamia Construction, the only bidder, was awarded the contract for $9,317,224.80. This year's UBAS program will cover 6 lane miles of residential streets and 32 lane miles of thoroughfares, with staff expressing optimism about the contractor's past success on similar projects.

The meeting underscored the ongoing challenges in securing competitive bids for public works projects, but the committee remains hopeful about the future of infrastructure improvements in Overland Park. As these projects move forward, the city anticipates enhanced road conditions and improved community safety.