County awards Zimmerman Highway 169 interchange contract to Ames Construction; public meeting set Aug. 12

Sherburne County accepted a low responsive bid from Ames Construction for the Highway 169/State Aid Highway 4 interchange project near Zimmerman and authorized staff to move forward pending Office of Civil Rights (OCR) approval. Public Works staff told commissioners the bids were favorable and indicated Ames — which has worked on regional interchange projects — could begin work shortly after Labor Day, with substantial completion expected in 2026 and some punch‑list items into 2027.

The board approved a motion to accept the low bid and proceed with the contract; the motion was seconded and carried without dissent. Public Works staff said Ames Construction had submitted required OCR paperwork and that approval timelines were running at about two weeks for similar submissions; the county said the item was contingent on OCR approval. Staff also announced a public information meeting for the project: Tuesday, Aug. 12, 4:30–6:30 p.m., at Zimmerman Station 1 Event Center, where the contractor and county will present staging, construction plans and answer resident questions.

Commissioners and staff thanked prior board members, local officials and federal representatives for their contributions to funding and project development. Public Works staff emphasized the project has taken multiple years of coordinated effort and said crews could “turn dirt” the day after Labor Day, subject to final contracting details. The board’s action authorizes staff to proceed with award to Ames and to continue coordination with the contractor and community outreach.