Court approves South Big Run bridge contract with not-to-exceed $900,000 limit

The Boyd County Fiscal Court voted to proceed with a contract with CTW Contracting for sediment- and pier-protection work at the South Big Run bridge and set a not-to-exceed (NTE) limit of $900,000 to allow unit-rate adjustments during construction.

County staff told the court the single bid totaled $766,000 and noted the project must be completed by mid-April to meet FEMA deadlines. Laurel, a county staff member in the road/engineering group, said the bid used unit rates (for example, a per-boulder price) and recommended the higher NTE so engineers and the road department could order additional riprap or boulders without returning to court for contract changes.

Court staff stated the project is funded primarily by FEMA; Laurel said the project was “90% federal, 5.2% local” and that additional KYEM/FEMA reimbursements (about $800,000) remain expected for other work. The court approved the motion to set the NTE at $900,000 by roll call. Commissioners Stapleton, Holbrook and Salisbury, and Judge Chaney all voted yes.

Laurel also reported that the county’s bridge engineer will be at the road department for a day of inspections and training and invited commissioners to attend. Court members discussed process steps for other bridge-related items, including appointing viewers for a section of Midland Trail that the court plans to close.

The court’s action authorizes use of the county’s standard contract template and directed county counsel to review the agreement before execution. The motion and roll-call approval were recorded during the meeting.

Ending: The engineering staff said the project timeline is aggressive; the court approved the NTE to permit necessary unit-rate work without delaying construction.