Steele County approves RJ Zaverhill contract to repair County Road 8; additional culvert work discussed

The Steele County Board of Commissioners voted to hire RJ Zaverhill to repair the settled north end of County Road 8 and approved the work after staff described the scope and cost estimates.

County road staff told commissioners the contractor’s estimate for the primary repair work was approximately $73,000. While the contractor is on site staff also presented a higher-end estimate—about $24,070—to mill and tie into an adjacent pavement dip that has settled over a previously replaced culvert. Commissioners approved contracting RJ Zaverhill to do the north-end repair and authorized staff to pursue the culvert-dip work as reasonable while the crew is mobilized.

Staff said the culvert-dip price represents a high-end estimate intended to cover milling the existing patch and tying the new surface into the adjacent pavement; they noted the final work scope could be reduced once crews mobilize. Road department staff also reported ongoing crack-sealing on another county road and said scheduled chip-seal work for 33 miles remains dependent on chip production and contractor availability.

The board’s approval included the contract authorization and direction to proceed; the motion was made by Commissioner Brown and seconded by Commissioner Krueger. Commissioners recorded the motion as carried during the meeting’s public proceedings.

County staff said they expect the contractor to attempt the work in July if scheduling and weather permit, but they cautioned that mobilization and exact timing could shift if rain or material availability affects the contractor’s plan.

Background: road staff briefed the board on recent crack-sealing progress and chip-seal planning earlier in the meeting, noting roughly two miles of crack sealing had been completed and that chip-seal timing is unknown while chips are being produced.