County engineer defends testing, incentives after paper scrutiny; board approves contracts and updates pavement standard

Crow Wing County’s highway engineering staff told the county board on April 8 that outside reporting about an industry investigation did not involve the county’s projects and that county controls protect taxpayer investments. The board approved the consent agenda, which included awarding roadwork contracts to Anderson Brothers.

County Engineer Tim Bray told the board the county requires independent material testing and onsite checks to ensure public works meet specifications. "A lot of these tests require two samples to be taken — one done by the contractor and one done by the county or MnDOT or another independent agency — so there's always some check and balance," Bray said. He described tests for asphalt content, aggregate distribution, density and smoothness and said noncompliant work can result in deductions, incentives withheld, or, in rare cases, removal and replacement.

Tha…