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McLeod County approves road contracts, hears five‑year highway construction plan
Summary
The county board awarded two county road construction contracts and approved a joint resurfacing agreement with the city of Winstead, and heard a presentation of the county’s five‑year highway plan and funding approach.
McLeod County commissioners voted to award multiple road and maintenance contracts and approved a joint powers resurfacing agreement with the City of Winstead on March 11 while receiving a staff presentation on the county’s five‑year highway construction plan and funding sources.
The board awarded county project CP‑025 to Morris Sealcoat and Trucking Inc. of Morris, Minnesota, at a bid of $485,294.75; the engineer’s estimate had been $587,050.84. The board also awarded Wharton County project 0250000005 (2025 route and seal) to Camco Inc. of Dassel, Minnesota, at $47,658.65. Both awards were made from the highway construction budget; motions to approve were made and seconded and the board approved both by voice vote. The board also approved a joint powers agreement with the City of Winstead governing the 2025 joint resurfacing project; the agreement defines rights, obligations and cost‑sharing and was approved by Winstead on Feb. 18.
County engineering staff presented the county’s five‑year highway construction plan, describing system size and funding. McLeod County maintains about 390 miles of roadway (about 255 miles of county state aid highways, about 135 miles of county roads). Staff described funding sources including the Highway User Distribution Fund (fuel tax revenue, license fees and related taxes), county state aid allocations (about $6.7 million in 2024), local option sales tax enacted in 2020, and project‑specific federal funding for select overlays. Staff outlined typical per‑mile costs and expected lifespans: seal coats (~$27,000/mile, 8–10 year life), minor bituminous rehab (thin overlays, often ~$175,000/mile, ~10–12 year life), major bituminous rehab (~$360,000/mile), concrete overlays (~$700,000–$750,000/mile), and rural/urban reconstructions (range higher, from ~$1.7M/mile rural to ~$3.2M/mile urban depending on scope).
The staff presentation listed planned projects for 2025–2029, including a County Road 1 concrete overlay (County Road 22 to north county line), reconstruction of Avenue from 13th to 20th Street in Glencoe, and multiple minor and major rehabilitations in later years. Commissioners asked about methodology used to prioritize projects; staff said they rely on MnDOT pavement inspection vehicle data (ride quality, crack counts and severity), traffic volumes, route priority and pavement age, and attempt to combine pavement work with crash‑reduction improvements when possible. Several commissioners raised a pedestrian‑crossing concern in the City of Winstead and asked staff to pursue conversations with the city and potential funding options.
Why it matters: The contract awards move pavement and maintenance work toward the field this year and the five‑year plan frames capital spending and geographic priorities for the county’s road network. Awarding lower bids than engineer estimates may yield budget savings; the five‑year plan highlights long‑term maintenance strategies that affect residents’ travel safety and the county budget.
Votes at a glance:
- CP‑025 (Morris Sealcoat & Trucking Inc.): Award contract at $485,294.75 (mover: Commissioner Wright; second: recorded). Outcome: approved (voice vote).
- Wharton County project 0250000005 (Camco Inc.): Award contract at $47,658.65 (mover: Commissioner Wright; second: Commissioner Krueger). Outcome: approved (voice vote).
- Joint Powers Agreement with City of Winstead for 2025 resurfacing: Motion to approve (mover: Commissioner Schmalz; second: Commissioner Chaska). Outcome: approved (voice vote).
