Bidding for road resurfacing projects can begin

Columbia County officials received authorization last week to start bidding some resurfacing projects using federal stimulus funds.

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"Officially, the stimulus money has been awarded to us," county Construction and Maintenance Services Director Matt Schlachter said Wednesday. "What I haven't had was the authorization to bid the project."

State Department of Transportation spokeswoman Cissy McNure verified last week that the county has received authorization.

The more than $2.5 million in stimulus funds will be used to resurface Flowing Wells, South Old Belair, Evans to Locks, Old Evans and Furys Ferry roads.

At the same time, the county will spend about $2.35 million in sales tax funds to improve the intersections of Flowing Wells Road at Columbia, Pleasant Home and Wheeler roads, and at Hardy-McManus and Furys Ferry roads.

"Intersection improvements are underway as we speak," Schlachter said. "We have some in-house staff doing some preliminary work now (at Flowing Wells and Columbia roads). They should be finished (this) week."

Schlachter said advertisements for bidders likely will start running Sunday. He could be seeking commission approval for bids by May.

A requirement of using the stimulus money is that it must all be spent by February 2012.

A pre-bid meeting for the intersection improvements will be held March 31. Schlachter said he'll likely open the bids April 8 and seek commission approval later that month.

Also last week, DOT released the county roads chosen to be part of the Local Assistance Resurfacing Program. Areas to be resurfaced include portions of Carriage Hill Drive, Rivershyre Drive, Elm Court, Sparkleberry Road, Windmill Crossing, Hunting Horn Way West, Roswell Drive and Aylesbury Drive.