LaPorte County accepts bids for paving, chip seal and crack seal work

LaPorte County commissioners opened sealed bids on March 4 for multiple highway surface and maintenance classes and subsequently accepted the highway superintendent's recommendations for primary and alternate contractors.

Highway Superintendent Charity Glaser summarized results and recommended primary and alternate contractors for each class: class 11 (chip seal/emulsions) — Asphalt Materials primary with Bit Mat as alternate; class 12 (paving) — Reeve Riley primary with Milestone and Avalanche as alternates; class 13 (pavement markings) — accept the single bidder (Air Marking); class 14 (crack seal) — Reeve Riley primary with Pavement Solutions as secondary. "There were four bidders... Central Paving was the cheaper for application," Glaser reported during her summary.

Procedure and vote: Staff read bid details into the record, noting prices and pricing structures varied (per‑gallon, per‑ton and total estimates). A motion was made to show the bids were timely received and later to accept the superintendent's recommendations, with deference to the lowest responsive bidder in each category; the board approved the motions.

What to expect next: Commissioners directed highway staff to review line‑by‑line comparisons where pricing formats differed and to return with contract documents for formal award and execution. The board emphasized deference to the lowest responsive, responsible bidder when preparing awards.