Wright City leaders last Thursday rejected bids for sidewalk construction that were almost double the project estimate, while accepting a bid for Westwoods Road reconstruction that was about $157,000 less than budgeted.

The Westwoods Road project will rebuild the street from the S-curve at Indian Head Lodge Road, east to the intersection with North Service Road. Only one paving firm submitted a project bid, despite at least 10 being contacted, said City Administrator Jim Schuchmann. However, that one bid was about 20 percent less expensive than predicted.

The engineer’s project estimate for the Westwoods rebuild was about $697,600, Schuchmann said. Sweetens Concrete Services submitted a bid of about $539,900, cutting more than $157,000 from the predicted cost.

The Wright City Board of Aldermen discussed the project bid during their April 22 public meeting. Schuchmann reassured the aldermen that Sweetens’ bid included all of the materials and services needed for the Westwoods rebuild, after which aldermen unanimously approved hiring the company.

Schuchmann said he didn’t have a good explanation for why only one firm replied to the request for bids. Alderman Michelle Heiliger observed that booming subdivision construction has paving companies booked throughout the region.

Newly elected Alderman Don Andrews asked how Sweetens could submit a bid that was so far below the project estimate. Alderman Nathan Rohr, whose trade is in construction, said a lot of the predicted cost was engineers overestimating for services, such as $30,000 for traffic control.

“It’s not going to take $30,000 for a guy that’s flagging (traffic) all day. They’re going to save a lot of money by not subbing out to a traffic control company to do that,” Rohr said.

Schuchmann added that engineers had included a 10 percent “buffer” to the predicted cost in case prices inflated by the time the project was bid out.

Sidewalk bids rejected

Five firms were contacted to bid on a second project, rebuilding the sidewalk along the North Service Road east of Westwoods Road, Schuchmann said. The estimated cost of the project is about $52,800. 

Only two companies responded, with bids of about $89,500 and $100,300. Schuchmann advised the aldermen against accepting either bid for the project.

“These bids are almost twice the amount of the engineer’s estimates, so I would recommend you reject the bids, based on them being higher than what you had originally budgeted and probably are willing to spend,” Schuchmann said.

Aldermen agreed, voting not to hire either company.

Andrews asked why the bids had come in so much higher than estimated. Schuchmann speculated that both companies probably have ample work right now, and took a shot at a high price just to see if it worked.

In lieu of hiring a separate company for the sidewalk project, Schuchmann suggested negotiating with Sweetens Concrete Services to add the sidewalk as an extension of the Westwoods project.

“Based on the fact that they’re already going to be here mobilized, let’s see if they can get us a good price on the sidewalk,” Schuchmann suggested. He added that Sweetens had actually expressed interest in the sidewalk project, but missed the bidding deadline.

Schuchmann explained that the city’s statutes allow aldermen to negotiate the sidewalk into the Westwoods contract, rather than seeking new project bids. Aldermen approved the action, with the project to be reviewed again at a future meeting.