Coweta County awards $4.8 million Southwest Connector contract; will buy storm‑drain pipe to cut costs

Coweta County commissioners voted to award the main construction contract for the Southwest Connector road project to McCoy Grading Co., whose low bid of $4,815,208.55 came in below the county’s cost estimate, and to purchase storm‑drain pipe materials directly to save roughly $14,000.

The Southwest Connector will be a new‑location road beginning near the intersection of Corinth Road and Millard Farmer Road, with a roundabout and a future connection that would provide another access route to the county fairgrounds and reduce traffic on nearby roads, county staff said. "The low bid was submitted by McCoy Grading in the amount of $4,815,208.55," County Public Works staff explained during the meeting.

County staff told commissioners the contract shown in the packet will be slightly lower than McCoy’s bid because the county can obtain a better unit price for the concrete and storm‑drain pipe than the contractor can. The county will pay the pipe invoices directly while the contractor remains responsible for handling and installing the materials; that arrangement was estimated to save about $14,000. The board approved both the contractor award and the supplemental purchase of pipe materials.

The county required that McCoy supply revised bid bonds and an amended insurance certificate containing an "explosion" clause (for potential blasting) to match the reduced contract amount. Commissioners made the award contingent on receiving those revised bonds and insurance documents and then approved the contract when staff confirmed the contingencies would be satisfied.

County staff said 11 contractors submitted bids on the project. The board’s action allows staff to finalize the contract paperwork after the revised bonds and insurance certificate are received.

The project will include new roadway construction where none exists today and a later phase that would build a bridge over the CSX railroad to tie into U.S. 29 and State Route 16. Commissioners said the project is intended to improve access to the fairgrounds and relieve traffic on existing routes.

The contract award was made by motion, second and unanimous voice vote; the board recorded no roll‑call tallies in the meeting minutes.

Ending: County staff will finalize contract documents after receiving the revised bonds and insurance certificate from the contractor and proceed with procurement of the storm‑drain materials for the Southwest Connector.