Scotts Bluff County adopts 1- and 6-year road plan, awards two overlay contracts to Simon Contractors

Scotts Bluff County commissioners adopted the county's required 1- and 6-year road improvement program at their Sept. 15 meeting and awarded bids for two surface-overlay projects, moving ahead with a slate of bridge and pavement projects totaling millions of dollars over the next six years.

Roads presentation: Steve, the county road and bridge staff member who presented the plan, said the program fulfills Nebraska Department of Transportation and Board of Classification and Standards requirements and lays out how the county will spend its highway allocation money. "It's that time of the year where we do our yearly, 1 and 6 year street plan," he said.

What was approved: The board adopted the 1- and 6-year program (the adoption resolution cites state requirements) and approved two contract awards to Simon Contractors for asphalt work: - Project C79456, 40 Second Street overlay, Simon Contractors, bid approximately $258,000 (engineer estimate $257,260). The board was told Simon can complete this work this fall if approved. - Project C79455, County Road P overlay (south side of Minatare), Simon Contractors, bid $498,400 (engineer estimate ~$404,001). The county expects this project to be a spring construction project due to seasonal hauling by local feedlots.

Plan context: Steve said last year the county spent roughly $3.2 million on bridge projects and about $1.2 million on asphalt work. The six-year list contains about 20 projects totaling roughly $15 million in estimated construction cost; the county noted those are estimates subject to change with market conditions. He described multiple bridge projects on the one-year list, including timber-deck replacements to be converted to concrete decks, a closed bridge over Horse Creek under study for replacement or culvert alternatives, and pipe/corridor work to reduce maintenance and inspection burdens.

Public input: During the road-plan public hearing, resident Owen Palm spoke in favor of the 40 Second Street mill-and-fill project, saying the road was "in very serious condition" where he lives.

Board action and vote: The resolution adopting the 1- and 6-year plan passed (recorded tally: three yes votes). The two contract awards for projects C79456 and C79455 were approved (recorded tallies: three yes votes for each award).

Project and procurement notes: Engineers' estimates were provided for the bids. For C79455, the successful bid exceeded the engineer's estimate by about $84,000; staff suggested that difference may reflect concrete work subcontracted by the prime contractor. The Cook Oil bridge project was deferred to next year because of budget constraints. Steve said many bridge projects will rely on state bridge-match reimbursement programs.

Ending: With the plan adopted and two bids awarded, county staff said they will proceed with contractor scheduling and engineering follow-up; the board recorded the resolution and moved on to other business.