Morton County’s road department reported on Thursday that combining four special-assessment paving petitions produced lower mobilization costs and attracted two bids. The county accepted a low bid from Northern Improvement Company for $1,217,918.80 for paving and overlays in four subdivisions.

Road staff said the engineer’s combined estimate had been $1,543,791, and that Northern Improvement’s low bid came in substantially below that number. A second bidder, Strata Corporation, submitted a bid near the engineer’s estimate, which staff said validated the original estimate while highlighting how the low bid produced savings for property owners.

Timeline and homeowner impacts: County staff said work is expected to start the week after Labor Day with a calendar completion date of Oct. 15. Staff also told commissioners that if bids come in lower than petition estimates, individual parcel assessments will be lower than the amounts originally published; staff offered to provide details to interested property owners but warned that final amounts could change if additional patching or base gravel is required.

What the commission decided: The commission voted to accept Northern Improvement’s low bid. Commissioners and staff urged residents to call the road department with questions and said the county will provide contractor contact information for homeowners who want driveway work to be coordinated with the county project.

Votes: The motion to accept the low bid carried unanimously.