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Commissioners award two public‑works contracts; FEMA funds part of culvert work
Summary
The Cowlitz County Board of Commissioners awarded bids for the Italian Creek culvert replacement and the Delameter Creek (Garlock Road) fish‑passage project; both votes passed and staff said the Italian Creek award is more than $100,000 under estimate while the Garlock Road award exceeded the engineer's estimate due to concrete costs.
Cowlitz County commissioners approved two public‑works bid awards Wednesday: a culvert replacement on Town Creek Road and a fish‑passage replacement on Garlock Road (Delameter Creek).
County Engineer Susan Eugenis told the board item 7 — the Italian Creek culvert replacement on Town Creek Road at milepost 1.9 — is a FEMA‑funded project to replace a culvert damaged in a storm. The county received seven bids; the apparent low bidder withdrew and the county identified DeWitt Construction as the lowest responsible bidder at $434,355. Eugenis said that amount is “over a hundred thousand dollars below the engineer's estimate.”
Item 8 — the Garlock Road/Delameter Creek fish‑passage project — will replace an existing box culvert with a 55‑foot span steel arch culvert. Staff received seven bids; the successful bidder was Western United Civil Construction at $2,349,120. Eugenis told commissioners the final price exceeded the engineer's estimate largely because of higher concrete foundation costs.
Board action: A commissioner moved to approve item 7; the motion passed by voice vote (ayes recorded). The board then moved to approve item 8; that motion also passed by voice vote. Staff said the Italian Creek design is about 75% complete and, assuming permitting proceeds, the project would go out to bid this fall for construction; the temporary bridge in the Pleasant Hill Road area is a county‑owned structure placed to reopen a roadway while final work proceeds, staff said.
Why it matters: The Italian Creek replacement repairs storm damage under a FEMA program. The Garlock Road project replaces a barrier to fish passage with a larger span structure intended to restore fish mobility in Delameter Creek; staff said Delameter Creek is a documented fish stream that supports at least two salmonid species.
Ending: Commissioners approved both contracts and moved to the next items on the agenda.
