LIBERTY — The Amite County Board of Supervisors on Monday approved bids for several projects, including two Swamp Road bridges totaling more than $4 million.
State Aid funds will pay $317,595 for the Swamp Road project. Federal money will account for the rest. The county will not have to match any money.
The board awarded the Swamp Road project bid to McGee Construction Co. of Lake. The board accepted the company’s bid of $3,987,569.
The bid is about $25,000 less than the board’s estimated cost of the work, which was $4,216,589.
McGee’s bid was the lowest of seven. The highest bid was $6,281589 by J.B. James Construction of Baton Rouge.
The bridge work is long overdue, according to county engineer David Cothren.
“These are two long, brand-new bridges. One will replace what is a temporary crossing, really, and the other will take the place of another that collapsed. It’s something we have needed for some time.”
The work includes replacing a timber bridge that crosses Hominy Creek and a collapsed bridge over the east fork of the Amite River.
Currently. there is no way to cross the Amite River on Swamp Road.
The work also will include raising the grade of the bridges.
The length of the contract is 480 working days and Cothren predicted the work will begin in a month or so.
“We are now in the contract and authorization part. That always takes some time. It will also depend on how ready McGee is with their workers,” he said.
The project generated a lot of controversy when it was proposed, with some property owners opposing a large bridge built to federal standards, while others said they want the best bridge possible.
Also on Monday, supervisors finalized bids for two companies for the renovation and construction of the Department of Health Services and Family and Children’s Services buildings.
The board decided to re-advertise for bids after receiving two bids earlier that Architect Johnny Waycaster believed to be too high. After restructuring the original bid into separate bids, Waycaster believed the board would receive better estimates.
The board then separated the bids into three categories — roof work on the Department of Human Services building, foyer work of the DHS building and the Family and Children’s Services building, and lobby renovation at that building.
It was a rare standing-room-only Monday morning meeting, as 16 bidders awaited their fortune in the small board room.
The board accepted Malone Roofing’s base bid of $79,900 for the roof work and Smith Painting and Contracting’s bid of $66,933 for the rest. Both bids were the lowest of all submitted.
The total cost of $146,833 is just under the $152,090 the county received in grant funds for the projects. The county matched $15,000 as part of the grant agreement.
Originally, Waycaster had estimated the roof work to be in the $80,000 range. In July, the board received bids closer to $150,000.
“We came out real good on these projects,” said District 4 Supervisor Butch Graves. “We got a fair bid for all projects and won’t have to pay much in return.”
