Sweetwater County awards Laos Drive reconstruction contract to Matson Construction
May 06, 2026 | Sweetwater County, Wyoming
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The Sweetwater County Board of County Commissioners voted May 5 to award the Laos Drive (County Road 1243) reconstruction contract to Matson Construction for $1,577,436.28, using fuel tax funds, and authorized the chairman to sign the contract.
"We had the engineer prepare four options based on geotechnical reports and asked for a base bid plus alternates so we could select the best value," said Gene Leerski, public works director. Leerski told commissioners that apparent discrepancies in the low bid were reviewed with county legal staff and judged inconsequential to price or performance.
Commissioner Jones moved to award the contract; Commissioner Slaughter seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.
In closely related actions the board approved a temporary construction easement with Bodec Holdings LLC to allow grading and curb‑radius work where the county’s proposed road elevation would alter existing drainage, and the board accepted a BLM right‑of‑way grant offer for County Road 25 (Hayawa Road) to address a longstanding slide and stabilize the roadway. Leerski said the County will pursue repairs that are necessary to prevent further roadway failure and that the BLM grant covers the broader right‑of‑way work.
Leerski told the board the bidding approach—asking contractors to price a base bid plus all alternates—allowed staff to evaluate which alternate provided the best value; Matson’s concrete alternative was deemed the best option. He said the county will fund the Laos Drive contract from fuel tax money already budgeted for road projects.
Next steps include finalizing contract documents and scheduling work. Leerski said staff will coordinate with property owners affected by temporary easements and with federal partners on the County Road 25 repairs.
Votes and motions:
- Awarded Laos Drive reconstruction contract to Matson Construction for $1,577,436.28; motion by Commissioner Jones, second Commissioner Slaughter; unanimous vote.
- Approved temporary construction easement with Bodec Holdings LLC; motion by Commissioner Slaughter, second Commissioner Jones; unanimous vote.
- Approved BLM right‑of‑way grant offer for County Road 25 (Hayawa Road); motion by Commissioner Jones, second Commissioner Tolman; unanimous vote.
The board did not provide a project start date in the meeting; staff will return with contract documents and scheduling details.
"We had the engineer prepare four options based on geotechnical reports and asked for a base bid plus alternates so we could select the best value," said Gene Leerski, public works director. Leerski told commissioners that apparent discrepancies in the low bid were reviewed with county legal staff and judged inconsequential to price or performance.
Commissioner Jones moved to award the contract; Commissioner Slaughter seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.
In closely related actions the board approved a temporary construction easement with Bodec Holdings LLC to allow grading and curb‑radius work where the county’s proposed road elevation would alter existing drainage, and the board accepted a BLM right‑of‑way grant offer for County Road 25 (Hayawa Road) to address a longstanding slide and stabilize the roadway. Leerski said the County will pursue repairs that are necessary to prevent further roadway failure and that the BLM grant covers the broader right‑of‑way work.
Leerski told the board the bidding approach—asking contractors to price a base bid plus all alternates—allowed staff to evaluate which alternate provided the best value; Matson’s concrete alternative was deemed the best option. He said the county will fund the Laos Drive contract from fuel tax money already budgeted for road projects.
Next steps include finalizing contract documents and scheduling work. Leerski said staff will coordinate with property owners affected by temporary easements and with federal partners on the County Road 25 repairs.
Votes and motions:
- Awarded Laos Drive reconstruction contract to Matson Construction for $1,577,436.28; motion by Commissioner Jones, second Commissioner Slaughter; unanimous vote.
- Approved temporary construction easement with Bodec Holdings LLC; motion by Commissioner Slaughter, second Commissioner Jones; unanimous vote.
- Approved BLM right‑of‑way grant offer for County Road 25 (Hayawa Road); motion by Commissioner Jones, second Commissioner Tolman; unanimous vote.
The board did not provide a project start date in the meeting; staff will return with contract documents and scheduling details.
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