By Brandon Bennett
STURGIS— The Sturgis City Council approved the award to Sacrison Paving for the Avalanche Road Paving Project at its meeting July 20th.
Public Works Director Rick Bush gave the skinny on the bid process.
“This project represents the final major step in improving Avalanche Road and will provide a durable all-weather paved road from the Harvest Meadows development all the way to the rubble site,” said Bush.
The project will include 3400 linear feet of Avalanche Road and the finished roadway will be approximately 24 feet wide with five inches of asphalt. To reduce cost street crews will prepare the roadway for eventual paving.
Bids were opened on July 13th and the city received four bids, from Sacrison Paving,Simon Contracting, Johner and Sons and Western Construction.
The engineers’ estimate for the project was $365,000. Sacrison Paving was the low bidder with $326,115.000
Sacrison Paving will submit a project report but Bush stated due to the lateness of the process no work will begin until after August 20th which means this will be a fall project.
This project will be from capital outlay and wasn’t necessarily in the budget.
Bush added this is an important traffic corridor and the road will be easier to maintain and work had already been done via blading and dust control.
“There’ll be better access to the rubble site and access to the Harvest Meadows subdivision,” said Bush.
Mayor Rod Bradley stated that…
“This would complete this project and enhance the whole area as it transitions from county to city and development and on and on,”he said. Ward 1 councilor Terry Jensen made the motion to approve and Ward 3 councilor Jim Thompson seconded it. The motion passed unanimously.
Meade County News asked Director Rick Bush about the traffic lights at the intersection of Avalanche Road and Lazelle and he replied the South Dakota Department of Transportation has control over those traffic lights and so any changes would have to be implemented by them.
