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Commission reviews hydraulic studies, moving toward summer culvert and bridge work
Summary
County public works staff delivered hydraulic studies and preliminary cost estimates for two bridges (County Road 6 and County Road 20) and members discussed bidding and procurement for summer work including culvert options and material choices.
Steele County road and bridge staff on April 1 briefed commissioners on hydraulic studies for two structures — one on County Road 6 (a federally inspected bridge) and another on County Road 20 — and recommended next steps for bids and repairs.
Public works staff said the County Road 6 structure has limited vertical clearance and suggested alternatives including a double line of 7‑foot culverts, three 6.5‑foot culverts, or two arch pipes (the latter said to offer good hydraulic capacity but higher cost). For County Road 20, staff described options of a single 8‑foot culvert, two 6‑foot culverts, or a single arch pipe. The Road & Bridge presenter advised the county could purchase culverts directly and solicit competitive quotes from local contractors rather than follow a formal state advertisement process (below state bidding thresholds), to keep costs competitive.
Staff also discussed material choices where culverts sit in standing water — polymeric‑coated pipe vs. heavier gauge steel — and noted installation sensitivity for coated pipe. Commissioners asked about nesting three‑pipe configurations (one lower pipe for low flow, two higher pipes to stay out of constant standing water) and about cover depth and the effect of road profile on culvert selection.
A bid opening was scheduled for April 15 for the county’s Simcoe paving project (31 miles, rough engineer’s estimate in the transcript between about $1.3M and $1.4M). Staff said paving prices had been favorable so far in the season.
Commissioners agreed to seek competitive quotes for the culvert/bridge alternatives and directed staff to prepare bid sheets with consistent quantities and riprap specs to enable apples‑to‑apples contractor pricing. No formal contract was awarded at the meeting.
Ending: Staff will prepare bid sheets, solicit quotes for culvert replacements and bridge alternatives, and return bid tabs for commissioner approval prior to awarding contracts.
