Werner low bidder for Bradshaw Spur

By Melanie Wilkinson
STAFF WRITER

Published: Monday, June 29, 2009 6:40 AM CDT

YORK — Werner Construction had the low bid and will likely be awarded the multi-miillion dollar contract for the paving of the road commonly known to locals as the Bradshaw Spur.

The Nebraska Department of Roads (NDOR) opened sealed bids Thursday afternoon, regarding the project that was originally estimated to cost between $4 and $7 million.

Werner’s bid was $3.7 million, far below the estimate.

All totaled, there were eight bids for the job: Paulsen, $4.08 million; Knife River Midwest, 4.107 million; M. E. Collins Contracting Company, $4.153 million; A & R Construction, 4.176 million; Constructors, $4.303 million; The Diamond Engineering Company, $4.393 million; and Park Construction Company, $4.941 million.

For literal decades, locals and leaders on the county and state levels have been asking that the approximate four-mile stretch be paved. It is one of the last remaining state roads that is still gravel.

The project has been in the state’s longterm plan . . . for a long time. Now that the bids have been let and the contract has been awarded, the project is set to begin and is expected to take 1 1/2 construction seasons to complete.

The project will include grading, replacing drainage structures and ultimately replacing the existing gravel road surface with asphalt. Upon completion of the four-mile-plus-long project, the stretch will be removed from the state highway system and relinquished to York County.

Officials say that during construction, "through traffic" will be detoured along Interstate 80, Highway 81 and Highway 34. Local access within the project limits will be maintained during construction.

The repair and resurfacing of the accompanying bridge over the interstate will also eventually take place. As part of that project, new guardrail will be installed on the bridge approaches.