Blue Earth County approves gravel contract, accepts MnDOT EV grant and hears multi-million dollar road and bridge awards
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Summary
The board awarded a 2026 gravel crushing contract to Martin Marietta at $7.50/ton, accepted an MnDOT carbon-reduction grant to purchase two electric pickups (80% of cost up to $120,000), and received updates on multiple road and bridge grants, including a $1.5 million LRIP award and bridge grant funding.
The Blue Earth County Board on April 7 awarded the county's 2026 maintenance gravel crushing contract to Martin Marietta, accepted a Minnesota Department of Transportation carbon-reduction grant to help purchase two electric pickup trucks, and received informational updates on several road and bridge grants.
Public Works Director (S9) said Martin Marietta submitted the low bid at $7.50 per ton; the county received a second bid from Lorentz and Sons at $10 per ton. The board approved the contract award by voice vote. S9 also presented MnDOT grant paperwork (grant number 1062815; state project 0759907596-03) under the Carbon Reduction Program that provides 80% of the purchase price up to $120,000 in federal funding for two electric pickups. The board approved accepting the grant.
S9 gave a series of informational updates: a Local Bridge Replacement grant covering 50% of a box-culvert cost (about $163,000), a Local Road Improvement Program grant of $1,500,000, a successful local partnership application for the US-14/Cassaw roundabout with $560,000 toward engineering and $1.4 million toward construction, and STP funding of $2,137,500 for another project. S9 noted coordination with MnDOT and the Federal Highway Administration for construction engineering and reimbursement on the Rapidan Dam/bridge removal project.
