County OKs engineering contracts for Ottawa Road phases, awards 2025–26 asphalt patching contract

Atchison County commissioners on Sept. 30 approved engineering and construction contracts for Ottawa Road rehabilitation and authorized the county’s 2025–26 asphalt patching contract.

Joe Snyder, the county’s road and bridge superintendent, presented two consultant agreements with Schwab Eaton: a $156,000 purchase-order for preliminary engineering on Ottawa Road Phase 3 and a $95,000 consulting contract for construction engineering on Phase 2. Commissioners approved the contracts and directed the purchases to come from the road-and-bridge or special-highway budget lines. Motions on the consulting agreements and follow-up purchase order passed 2 to 0.

Snyder told commissioners that the project is a full reconstruction and that detailed engineering is needed to check culverts and replace structures to spec. "This is a million dollars a mile for 2 miles," Snyder said, underscoring the scale and the need for engineering oversight during construction.

Commissioners discussed incremental invoicing and the county’s practice of issuing purchase orders that are drawn down as work proceeds. Snyder said preliminary engineering work is billed as the project goes and that if only a portion of a phase is constructed one year, the paid engineering still covers future bidding and construction for the remaining work.

The board also authorized the county to sign an agreement with Little Joe’s Asphalt for the 2025–26 asphalt patching program; the commission approved the chair signing the contract and completing vendor signature steps. Snyder provided a brief construction update on Bridge 298, noting equipment had been moved in and work had started.

Each of the construction and patching contracts passed on unanimous recorded votes of 2 to 0.