Pat Harmon, Charlevoix County Road Commission manager, speaks Wednesday to county commissioners about both the local and state constructions bids received for the upgrades to Boyne City-Charlevoix Road. (Sheri McWhirter/News-Review) |
CHARLEVOIX — County leaders must decide how to come up with an additional $1 million for a major road project this year, or choose which miles to leave unfinished.
Charlevoix County commissioners heard at their meeting Wednesday from road commission manager Pat Harmon, who discussed the project bids received last week by both state and county officials for the rehabilitation of Boyne City-Charlevoix Road, among the busiest and bumpiest stretches county-wide. Prices weren’t exactly what road officials expected and now they want to know which direction to go, he said.
The board scheduled a committee of the whole meeting for 9:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 17, when commissioners will further tackle the issue. They will gather in the commissioners meeting room, 203 Antrim St., Charlevoix.
“They were a little higher than what we expected,” Harmon said about the road construction bids.
In December, road commissioners expected the 10 miles of highway to cost about $5.2 million to overhaul, but low bids came in around $4.4 million. Northwest Design Group, of Petoskey, completed the initial engineering and cost estimates for the road commission.
Work on the highway will begin in the spring and is expected to be finished by autumn.
Federal dollars funneled through the Michigan Department of Transportation will cover most of the 2.5-mile section between Stephens and Sumner roads. The low bid received by the state came from M & M Excavating Company, of Gaylord, at $1.47 million.
Local money will be spent to complete the 7.5-mile stretch from Stephens Road to Western Avenue, very near U.S. 31. The low bid at $2.97 million came from Payne & Dolan, of Gaylord, though the next nearest bid from Rieth-Riley Construction, of Petoskey, amounted to less than a $2,000 difference.
Harmon ran the numbers for county commissioners.
In November, county commissioners transferred $1 million from the general fund to the road fund specifically to help pay for the work on Boyne City-Charlevoix Road. That will be combined with nearly $1 million in federal funds and $1.5 million in road commission savings.
“So we’re $1 million short in completing the project,” Harmon said.
The county’s annual tax revenue from the voter-approved road millage is about $1.5 million.
Officials paved some of Boyne City-Charlevoix Road in past years, including the 2.8 miles from Sumner Road to Nelson Road. That section cost about $874,000 to repave, records show.
Charlevoix County commissioners heard at their meeting Wednesday from road commission manager Pat Harmon, who discussed the project bids received last week by both state and county officials for the rehabilitation of Boyne City-Charlevoix Road, among the busiest and bumpiest stretches county-wide. Prices weren’t exactly what road officials expected and now they want to know which direction to go, he said.
The board scheduled a committee of the whole meeting for 9:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 17, when commissioners will further tackle the issue. They will gather in the commissioners meeting room, 203 Antrim St., Charlevoix.
“They were a little higher than what we expected,” Harmon said about the road construction bids.
In December, road commissioners expected the 10 miles of highway to cost about $5.2 million to overhaul, but low bids came in around $4.4 million. Northwest Design Group, of Petoskey, completed the initial engineering and cost estimates for the road commission.
Work on the highway will begin in the spring and is expected to be finished by autumn.
Federal dollars funneled through the Michigan Department of Transportation will cover most of the 2.5-mile section between Stephens and Sumner roads. The low bid received by the state came from M & M Excavating Company, of Gaylord, at $1.47 million.
Local money will be spent to complete the 7.5-mile stretch from Stephens Road to Western Avenue, very near U.S. 31. The low bid at $2.97 million came from Payne & Dolan, of Gaylord, though the next nearest bid from Rieth-Riley Construction, of Petoskey, amounted to less than a $2,000 difference.
Harmon ran the numbers for county commissioners.
In November, county commissioners transferred $1 million from the general fund to the road fund specifically to help pay for the work on Boyne City-Charlevoix Road. That will be combined with nearly $1 million in federal funds and $1.5 million in road commission savings.
“So we’re $1 million short in completing the project,” Harmon said.
The county’s annual tax revenue from the voter-approved road millage is about $1.5 million.
Officials paved some of Boyne City-Charlevoix Road in past years, including the 2.8 miles from Sumner Road to Nelson Road. That section cost about $874,000 to repave, records show.
