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County awards nearly $19 million Highway 100 reconstruction contract; accepts $3 million LRIP grant for Aurora project
Summary
St. Louis County approved awarding the Highway 100 (Casa/Main Street) reconstruction low bid of about $18.9 million and authorized entering a $3 million LRIP grant agreement with MnDOT; the project packages county, city and state funds and includes a Mesaba Trail extension through Aurora.
County staff described the Highway 100 (Casa/Main Street) reconstruction in Aurora as a multi‑component project that combines county reconstruction, city street tie‑ins and trail extension work. Public works staff said the low bid came in about 9 percent under the engineer’s estimate and reported a low bid of roughly $18.895 million to the apparent low bidder.
The funding package described by staff includes a $3 million state earmark (awarded through the transportation appropriation and passed to the county as an LRIP grant), approximately $4.6 million in municipal state aid as the county’s contribution, and roughly $2.5 million from the City of Aurora for local street work and storm sewer tie‑ins. Staff also described additional grant support for city reconstruction (LRIP, Safe Routes to School) and an approximate $1.5 million LRIP grant for portions of First Avenue West; the Mesaba Trail extension through town and a planned railroad‑crossing bridge were highlighted as part of a longer‑term connectivity plan.
A county official described the bridge/rail crossing as contingent on a future federal grant; the county will add a Mesaba Trail crossing on Highway 100 as part of the project to extend the trail through Aurora to the community center.
The board moved to award the contract and approved related project actions. Separately, the board approved a resolution to enter into the LRIP grant agreement with the Minnesota Department of Transportation to accept the $3 million state funding for the project.
Why it matters: the award moves a major local reconstruction project into procurement and contracting and commits a mix of state, county and city funds. The project aims to narrow and reconfigure the roadway for pedestrian friendliness, reconstruct storm sewer and sanitary systems, and extend a regional trail through the town center.
What’s next: county staff will finalize the contract with the low bidder, enter the LRIP grant agreement with MnDOT, coordinate city tie‑ins, and move into construction and trail‑connection planning; the county noted project labor and specialty contractor considerations.
