Columbia County awards $38.17 million contract to widen Harding-Geminis corridor

The Columbia County Services Committee voted to approve a $38,165,487.05 contract with Reeves Construction for the Harding and Geminis Road widening project.

County staff told the committee the low bids received in March initially exceeded budget; the Transportation Investment Act (TIA) office added about $5.2 million for inflation, staff identified stormwater funding and other internal adjustments, and negotiations with the contractor reduced the bid by roughly $5.6 million to reach the final amount. Staff recommended approval.

Committee members asked about property acquisitions and schedule. County staff said the right of way certification is complete for the project section discussed and that, after contract approval, tree clearing could begin within about 45 days. Staff also said roughly $2 million of the project will be funded from stormwater utility accounts, with the remainder coming from Tier 2 TIA funds and other identified sources.

The committee recorded the financing changes and expressed appreciation for staff work to keep the project on track rather than cancelling it when initial bids came in over budget. One member noted the process took multiple steps to find funding and value-engineer the scope.

Pending administrative steps cited by staff include final contract execution and coordination of early access for right-of-way work. No individual vote tally was recorded in the transcript; committee members moved the item to consent and the motion was approved.