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Blue Earth County awards $9.16 million Highway 10 reconstruction contract to R & E Enterprises
Summary
The county awarded a $9,158,881.02 contract to R & E Enterprises to reconstruct County State Highway 10 (including Bridge No. 90515) on a seven-mile rural section; the engineer’s estimate was about 2.12% lower than the low bid. Staff discussed staging and whether to delay the wearing-course overlay until after a winter freeze-thaw cycle.
Blue Earth County commissioners on May 6 awarded the contract for a seven-mile reconstruction of County State Highway 10 (including replacement of Bridge No. 90515) to R & E Enterprises of Mankato for $9,158,881.02, about 2.12% over the engineer’s estimate.
The project covers County State Highway 10 from the west county line to County State Highway 20 and includes rural reconstruction to meet higher design-speed curvature standards, full-depth reclamation in some segments and a bridge replacement. Staff told the board the project runs through a low-traffic rural corridor and recommended awarding to R & E based on their bid and previous county experience.
Nut graf: The project is one of the county’s larger reconstruction efforts this year and includes a bridge replacement; staff and commissioners discussed construction staging, including leaving a wearing-course bituminous overlay off for the first winter to allow settlement and then installing the top lift in a subsequent year.
Public-works staff said bidders advised the county to relax an earlier tight construction schedule; as a result, the contract was modified to allow the reconstructed sections to remain gravel through the first winter and receive a final wearing course later. Staff noted the tradeoff: shorter initial construction windows for bidders versus interim restrictions on vehicle loads and possible maintenance issues during the freeze-thaw season.
The board moved and approved award of the contract to R & E Enterprises. Staff will work with the contractor on final staging and a pavement schedule and said they may return to the board if budget or schedule modifications are needed to add the final wearing course in the same construction year.
Ending: County staff said they would monitor settlement over the coming winter and recommend whether to add the final overlay in 2026 or 2027 depending on budget and observed performance.
