Dubois County commissioners on Dec. 1 approved highway staff recommendations to award a set of 2026 materials contracts and received project schedule updates for several major bridges.

Highway staff reviewed sealed bids for aluminized steel pipe, polyethylene pipe, geotextile fabrics, ready‑mix concrete, asphalt and quarry stone and recommended awards to a mix of vendors to balance cost, freight and availability. Staff noted some bids contained escalation/de‑escalation clauses or minimum‑order freight thresholds that affected responsiveness; the board approved awards per the highway superintendent’s recommendations.

The county engineer briefed commissioners on Bridge 21 (Little Creek, County Road 200 W), which was closed Nov. 3 for superstructure replacement; crews poured the deck Nov. 26 with cold‑weather protections and will break test cylinders to verify 4,000 psi design strength before reopening late next week. Bridge 116 (CR 820 E) is slated to close Dec. 8 for demolition with a goal to pour concrete before year‑end and reopen after the holiday break; Bridge 78 (over Patoka River) has contract documents 95% complete and will be advertised in Dec.–Jan. with targeted contractor award in February 2026 and a full closure estimated at 1.5–2 months during construction.

Commissioners discussed detours and traffic impacts, and staff said they will post notices and use social media and radio to inform the public. The board approved the bid awards and accepted the engineering updates; no member objected to the procurement recommendations.