Howard County awards $1.37 million Community Crossings road contract to E&B Paving

Howard County commissioners on Monday approved awarding the Community Crossings 2026 road contract to E&B Paving for $1,366,307.86 to secure a 50/50 state matching grant.

Amber, a representative of the county highway department, told the board that CCMG 2026 project bids were due that day and that bids arrived from E&B Paving and DC Construction. She then presented paperwork for the award and asked the board to approve moving forward so the county could submit the contract to the state and retain the available funds.

The board also approved a related right-of-way addendum and a separate new contract for Bridge 30 with Lockmiller — an addendum in the amount of $18,895 and a new contract for $7,425 — which staff said were required after additional right-of-way needs were identified during the federal review process.

Alan (county staff) explained that an additional pot of state Community Crossings money had been released and that awards are essentially first-come, first-served; having a contractor under contract was required to secure the match. "All of their paperwork was in order and their math was correct, so I would like to go ahead and push this through so we can get this going for the season," Alan said.

Commissioners approved the awards by voice vote and signatures were requested to finalize contract paperwork.

Why it matters: The Community Crossings matching grant covers half of eligible roadwork, reducing the county’s share of construction costs. The awarded contract and the bridge addenda are preparatory steps necessary to keep seasonal road projects on schedule and to claim the state matching funds.

What’s next: County staff will obtain signatures, submit the contract to the state granting agency, and proceed with the work schedule as asphalt plants and contractor timelines allow; a May walkthrough was noted for a related bridge project.