Commissioners approve $1.37M road contract, adopt $7.9M 2026 road program and bridge consulting agreements

The Noble County Board of Commissioners on June 25 approved a $1,365,000 lump-sum construction contract with Calvert Asphalt for fall road work and adopted the county's 2026 road rehabilitation plan, part of a broader program that staff said approaches $7.9 million when including Old State Route 3 work.

Public works staff told the board the local portion of this year's program is roughly $4.6 million, with $1.969 million expected from two Community Crossings grants and additional restricted-fund appropriations filling the remainder. "If you factor in the Old State Route 3 project, which bid out at $3.2 million, we're pushing near $8 million in the road program," staff said when outlining priorities and funding sources.

The staff presentation emphasized preservation strategies to maximize service life, including more double chip-seal work targeted at roads showing rapid deterioration after severe freeze-thaw cycles. "We're trying to use a more robust fix this year'on fives and some early-warning sixes to lock in roads we don't want to slip and fail," the public works presenter said.

Commissioners also authorized re-bidding the highway department renovation with revised specifications intended to attract more bidders, and approved two consulting/professional engineering (LPA) contracts for federally aided bridge projects: Lawson Fisher Associates for work on bridge 75 (not to exceed $710,042) and SJCA Incorporated for bridge 65 (not to exceed $639,708). Several smaller LPA vouchers and PE claim invoices were approved by voice vote.

Board members approved the Calvert Asphalt contract and the 2026 road rehabilitation plan by voice votes; the record shows motions and voice approval but no roll-call tallies were recorded in the transcript. Public works staff said the overall approach aims to maintain primary roads at condition ratings of six or better and preserve a 10% annual preservation target to keep the network on a long-term cycle.

Next steps: staff will complete contract documents and prepare purchase orders to begin the fall work, advertise the highway department renovation bid with bids due July 24, and proceed with federally aided bridge consultant work per the approved LPA agreements.