Engineer recommends award of South Main Avenue contract to low bidder SCT

Gary Schafer of the Trumbull County engineer's office told commissioners the only responsive bid for the South Main Avenue project came from SCT at $3.685 million, about 20% below the engineer's estimate. He said the project, covering the south downtown area of Main Street, is expected to begin in March and could take roughly four months to complete; commissioners discussed traffic impacts and the possibility of closing the road during construction.

Schafer described the contractor's prior performance and noted the bid was favorable given current market conditions. A commissioner asked about the county's ability to award a bid that is more than 20% below estimate; Schafer and staff said the bid is acceptable and that the county had documentation from the bidding process. No formal award vote was recorded during the meeting; the item was reported to the board for consideration and next steps.

Separately, Schafer and staff discussed other infrastructure projects and the need to secure good bids on Golden Triangle work to ensure all phases of the grant‑funded project can begin without partial contracting jeopardizing grant draws.