Isanti County board adopts MnDOT detour agreement, awards seal-coating and County Road 54 contracts

Justin Bergerson, Isanti County highway engineer, presented several highway-related actions on April 21 that the board approved by roll-call votes.

Bergerson described a MnDOT Trunk Highway 65 construction project requiring a posted detour that would use county state highways and county roads. He said MnDOT will perform necessary maintenance on the detour routes and estimated compensation for use of county roads at around $80,000, which will be subject to the detour duration; the board adopted a resolution authorizing execution of the MnDOT agreement.

Bergerson also presented bids for the county's annual seal-coating (chip-seal) program, Contract 2605. Four bids were received and the apparent low bidder was Asphalt Surface Technologies Corp. at $451,527.27 (about 12.58% below the engineer estimate). The board voted to award the contract to Asphalt Surface Technologies; the contract will be signed by the contractor and reviewed by county counsel for conformance.

For County Road 54 (a joint project with the City of Braham to replace aging utilities and resurface the roadway), seven bids were received. The apparent low combined bid (city + county) was $2,043,715 from A-1 Excavating LLC; under the cooperative agreement the county's estimated share is approximately $815,000 (about 40%). The board received the bid and approved proceeding by resolution, subject to required contracts and permits and concurrence by the city council.

Bergerson outlined project phasing, expected posting of detours, and a demonstration of a wearing-surface product called "Mastech" as an interim treatment for high-traffic segments until full reconstruction in 2028.

All items passed on motions and unanimous roll-call votes.