Wright County awards $5.14 million contract for Clearwater SAW 7 reconstruction, contingent on MnDOT approvals

The Wright County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved awarding Contract 2609 for the SAW 7 (24) reconstruction project in Clearwater to the low bidder, with a contract price of $5,137,843.21, contingent on required Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) pre‑award clearances and workforce and civil‑rights approvals.

Public works staff reported that bids for the project ranged roughly from $5.1 million to $6.9 million and that the county’s engineers had estimated about $5.9 million. The presenter said the apparent low bidder is a St. Cloud contractor identified in the bid tabulation; staff recommended award on the condition that MnDOT approve federal‑ and state‑grant requirements before the county executes the contract. "We opened bids yesterday for the 24, SAW 7 reconstruction project in Clearwater," the presenter said, noting the bid range and the recommendation to award contingent on MnDOT approvals.

Board members questioned practical timelines and staff clarified traffic and seasonal constraints: the project must be open to traffic on the affected corridor by Oct. 15 (staff said some work could continue after that date but lanes must be opened), and the county expects grant reimbursements to cover most construction and engineering eligible costs. A board member also acknowledged $3.7 million in congressionally designated funding that helped make the project viable.

The motion to award the contract was made and seconded and passed by unanimous vote. Staff will proceed with pre‑award coordination with MnDOT and return when approvals are finalized.

Next steps: county staff will complete MnDOT pre‑award submittals (Office of Civil Rights review, workforce plan and funding distribution) and return for contract execution once clearances are granted.