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Cowlitz County awards bids for culvert and fish‑passage projects; one contract exceeds engineer’s estimate
Summary
The county awarded two Public Works bid packages: DeWitt Construction to replace the Italian Creek Road culvert for $434,355 (FEMA funded), and Western United Civil Construction to replace a culvert on Garlock Road with a steel arch for $2,349,120 (over the engineer’s estimate, attributed to high concrete prices).
Cowlitz County commissioners awarded two public‑works construction contracts to repair storm‑damaged culverts and improve fish passage.
County Engineer Susan Eugeneus told the board the Italian Creek culvert replacement on Town Creek Road at milepost 1.9 is a FEMA‑funded project after storm damage. After seven bids and a withdrawal by the apparent lowest bidder for errors, the county found DeWitt Construction to be the lowest responsible bidder at $434,355, roughly $100,000 below the engineer’s estimate, Eugeneus said. The board voted to award the contract to DeWitt Construction.
Eugeneus next presented the Garlock Road/Delameter Creek fish‑passage project. The county plans to replace an existing box culvert with a 55‑foot‑span steel‑arch culvert. She said the low bidder was Western United Civil Construction at $2,349,120. That amount exceeded the engineer’s estimate, which Eugeneus attributed largely to higher concrete costs for the foundation. The item drew questions from residents about the need for a fish passage; Eugeneus said Delameter Creek is a documented fish stream and that at least two salmon species are present.
A resident who identified themself only by place of residence asked why temporary bridges had been installed in some locations instead of final road‑standard replacements; Eugeneus said temporary bridges were placed to reopen roads quickly after culvert failures and that FEMA funding is paying for final replacements. She said the county was about 75 percent through design on the temporary‑to‑final replacement project and expected to bid in the fall, subject to permitting.
Both bid awards were approved by the board; the transcript records voices of “Aye” when the board called for a vote and does not show individual roll‑call votes. The county will move forward with the two contracts and proceed with permitting and construction scheduling under the terms of the FEMA and county project timelines.
