Commissioners approve Sonesis contract; pre-construction set and additional bridge bids authorized

The Ross County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to approve a recent award to Sonesis Construction Company for bridge work and to move forward with additional bridge replacements advertised on the bidding platform referred to in the transcript as "Bill Express." Commissioners said a pre-construction meeting is expected within two weeks and the contractor aims to have prestressed box beams ready by late September or early October.

The contract award stemmed from a staff update that contractor paperwork, including railroad documentation and insurance, had been submitted and acknowledged. County staff said they will provide the contractor's insurance documents to the auditor and that bridge deck demolition and seat adjustments were already on schedule for immediate follow-up work.

Commissioners discussed packaging other bridge projects (Roselle Creek Ridge and Mount Tabor Ridge) to expand competition and speed procurement. One commissioner asked staff to circulate contract copies to county officials and to contact the contractor before the pre-construction meeting so beam orders can be placed; county staff noted prestressed beams are typically 70 to 90 days out at this time of year.

The board moved and approved the motion to proceed; no roll-call tally of named votes was recorded in the transcript beyond a unanimous "aye." The motion authorizes staff to proceed with the advertised bidding/award process and to coordinate immediate pre-construction scheduling and procurement steps.

Next steps outlined in the meeting included completing insurance and contract paperwork, holding the pre-construction meeting within two weeks, and ordering beams so production can meet the contractor's September/October target window.