Carroll County awards two road-construction contracts; bids come in well under estimates

Carroll County supervisors voted to award two road‑construction contracts after secondary‑roads staff reported competitive bids that came in well under engineer estimates.

The board approved awarding the diamond‑grinding project, covering sections from Halber East north to Highway 30 and one mile of M‑68 from Highway 141 North, to Diamond Surface Inc. for $659,287.52, compared with the engineer’s estimate of $791,936.55. Secondary‑roads staff said Diamond Surface was the apparent low bidder and can supply flagging and equipment; board members noted the company had not previously worked in Carroll County but had performed satisfactorily elsewhere.

Supervisors also approved awarding the precast box project on Sycamore (local project A21) to PCI Contractors for $160,507.50. The reported engineer estimate for that job was $205,130.00. The secondary‑roads representative said four of the five bids were tightly clustered and that PCI has prior experience in the county.

Board members discussed contractor quality, project timelines and traffic control. Secondary‑roads staff explained the diamond‑grinding scope includes crack and joint sealing and repainting striping after the grinding process to extend pavement life. Contractors typically bring multiple grinders and progress depends on equipment and crew size; staff estimated roughly 1–1.5 lane‑miles per day under normal conditions.

Both contract awards were moved, seconded and approved by voice vote. The board directed staff to prepare contract documents and proceed with contracting steps.

The board did not set specific start dates during the meeting; staff said timelines would depend on contractual paperwork and contractor schedules.