City awards $1.47 million Measure X paving contract to Griffith Company

The Tehachapi City Council voted to award the 26/27 Measure X grind-and-overlay paving contract to Griffith Company for $1,472,735 and authorized the city manager to approve change orders up to the project budget.

Andrew of Development Services described the project scope and told the council the work will include downtown grind-and-overlay on B Street, C Street, parts of D and E Streets, Holly and Carol streets, and a full rebuild of the Tehachapi Willow Springs Road segment. He said the Willow Springs portion will receive full-depth reclamation and cement treatment, a process the staff estimated will produce a 30-year pavement life.

Why it matters: the award bundles multiple street repairs under Measure X funding, allowing larger contracts and more durable rehabilitation than piecemeal work. A resident estimated the project covers roughly 1.61 miles of roadway; staff said they will provide precise lane-mile figures in a follow-up report.

The council asked technical questions about grind-and-overlay versus full-depth reconstruction. Public works staff explained that downtown streets will be ground two inches at the gutter and overlaid with new asphalt while Willow Springs will be pulverized, cement-treated and repaved to create a stronger structural section.

The contract was awarded after a motion and a roll-call vote recorded as 5–0. Staff said six bids were received and Griffith Company submitted the low, responsive bid.

The project timeline, exact lane-mile calculations and any change-order thresholds will be finalized by staff and reported to council in a subsequent meeting.