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Dunn County told low bid for County Road D/Red Cedar River bridge came in over estimate; county may seek additional funds
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Summary
Engineering staff briefed the Highway Committee on two design options for intersections near the County Road D bridge and said the November low bid came in roughly 18.7% over the county's allocated funds (reporting a low bid near $8.16 million vs. an estimate around $6.98 million); a change management request for additional funds was submitted to DOT.
County engineering staff updated the Highway Committee on the County Road D (Red Cedar River) rehabilitation project and described competing design choices and a budget shortfall uncovered in the November bid letting.
Speaker 2 said the county held a public information meeting Dec. 1 at Tainter Town Hall to gather resident input. Residents emphasized pedestrian accommodations; engineering options include relocating the west-side intersections farther west (which would require substantial rock excavation and raise costs) or cul-de-sacing the town-road intersections (lower cost but still requiring real-estate acquisition). Speaker 2 said either option will require purchasing right-of-way and further design work.
On funding, Speaker 2 said Ayers Associates is the project design engineer and that the project is in the DOT program with about 80% federal/state funding. He cautioned that Dunn County, as owner of the bridge, has the final say on design and would be responsible for any cost increases beyond the state agreement. “If the project is $1,000,000 dollars over the agreement, that is on the locals to cover that cost, potentially,” he said.
The committee discussed bid results from the November letting. Staff reported bids came in over the allocated funds; the lowest bid was described as about $8.16 million compared with a county/state estimate reported in the packet of roughly $6.98 million. Committee materials indicated the low bid was about 18.7% over budget; staff said the county has requested a change management request for additional funds from the DOT but said the additional funds are not guaranteed. If the change request is not approved, options include rebidding or using county fund balance to cover the difference.
Staff emphasized the need to address pier scour and other structural concerns promptly. The committee expects another public meeting in January 2027 and final design work to move toward 90% plans in the coming months, with construction targeted for 2028.
