The McPherson County Board of Commissioners voted Oct. 6 to award the Groveland Bridge (Bridge No. 100080) contract to L & M Contractors Inc. of Great Bend for $974,274.20.

Elizabeth Hopp, public works project engineer, told commissioners the county received three bids and recommended selecting the low bidder. "We received 3 bids. We believe it to be a very competitive bidding," Hopp said, adding, "All bidders are responsible bidders, and all bids came in within budget." The board approved the motion to accept the low bid without a recorded roll-call vote; commissioners said the agreement will be signed by the commission after a notice of award is signed.

The project will require a detour. Hopp said the county expects sufficient alternate routes to avoid disrupting harvest operations, though she acknowledged the work will affect local traffic. The county will fund the project; Hopp said no KDOT or other outside funds are being used. The county will sign a formal agreement with the contractor after the notice of award is executed.

Commissioners asked about the contractor's prior work in the county. Hopp replied that L & M has performed multiple bridge projects locally and indicated flexibility on the start date tied to the bid price. The board also discussed signing the notice of award at the meeting and returning the executed contract to the county later.

The award concludes the formal bidding phase for the Groveland Bridge replacement. County staff said they will coordinate detour routing with affected townships and advance notices to limit harvest disruption.