Speedway approves $2.32 million bid for 20 Fifth Street rebuild; INDOT grant covers roughly half

The Speedway Town Council voted unanimously to award the 20 Fifth Street reconstruction contract to Midwest Paving LLC and to accept a matching grant from the Indiana Department of Transportation, giving the town a path to begin construction after the Indianapolis Motor Speedway race season.

Town Manager Grant Kleinhines told the council the apparent low bidder is Midwest Paving LLC and that “Their bid was in the amount of $2,316,369.69.” He asked the council to approve the bid and to authorize him to negotiate and execute the contract so the town can begin work in early to mid-June after the race.

The vote follows the town’s earlier engineer estimate. Kleinhines said the engineering estimate prepared last fall was $3,800,000 and that market conditions have shifted since the pandemic-driven construction surge: “Most of that work that they've been on ... is done and finished and not quite as much work as coming out as at that time. ... I think that's leading to better prices.” He noted the town received 10 bids and 14 plan holders for the job.

The council also approved a local roads and bridges matching grant agreement through INDOT’s Community Crossings Matching Grant (CCMG) program. Kleinhines said the grant will cover 50% of the project cost and, because the contract award came in lower than the town’s earlier estimate, the approved grant amount will be $1,158,184.84 rather than the roughly $1.5 million the town expected when it applied.

Council President Nick Sturgeon called for votes on both items; each motion passed by voice vote, 5-0. Sturgeon announced the result after the bid motion: “Motion passes 5 to 0.”

Councilors asked staff to coordinate construction timing with Speedway-area schools. One council member raised whether some non-road work could proceed sooner so the project would not interfere with school activity; Kleinhines said staff will coordinate and avoid starting heavy roadway work before mid- to late June. The town manager also told the council he intends to submit a request for proposals for construction inspection services and will seek a professional services firm to provide testing and inspection during the build.

Kleinhines said the lower-than-expected bids give the town flexibility to seek additional Community Crossings funding for other local paving work. “We can apply for another Community Crossings matching grant, and we have every plan to do so,” he said, adding the town budgeted roughly $350,000 in 2025 for a second round of funding if available.

Votes at a glance: - Approve bid and authorize negotiation/execution of contract with Midwest Paving LLC for the 20 Fifth Street reconstruction project, $2,316,369.69 — Passed 5-0. - Approve local roads and bridges matching grant agreement with the Indiana Department of Transportation (Community Crossings Matching Grant) for 20 Fifth Street reconstruction, grant amount $1,158,184.84 — Passed 5-0. - (Other council actions at the same meeting are listed separately in the meeting record.)

Context and next steps: The town manager said construction is expected to begin after the Indianapolis race season and that the town will include liquidated damages and performance-bond language in the construction contract. Staff will post and solicit a construction inspection RFP directly to multiple engineering firms and return to the council with a recommended inspection services agreement. The council did not set a specific construction start date at the meeting; Kleinhines reiterated the town will coordinate timing with school schedules and race-related traffic.