Tribune staff reports

The Indiana Department of Transportation recently awarded contracts for 65 road and bridge projects, including one in Jackson County.

The contracts, worth $117 million, include 24 bridge and road paving projects, 13 bridge rehabilitation and replacement projects, and maintenance or repairs to an additional six bridges.

The Jackson County project involves the replacement of a small structure over an unnamed tributary on State Road 11, 0.11 miles north of State Road 250 north of Dudleytown.

Temple and Temple Excavating and Paving Inc. was the low bidder among seven for that project at $137,008.20. The engineer’s estimate for the project is $196,000.

The other bidders were E&B Paving Inc., Anderson, $172,500; Dave O’Mara Contractors Inc., North Vernon, $196,920.72; McAlister Excavating Co. Inc., Patriot, $209,494.64; Yardberry Landscape Co., Anderson, $198,059.70; Milestone Contractors LP, Columbus, $179,485.21; and King’s Trucking and Excavation Inc., Seymour, $148,636.92.

The awarding of the bid on a second project in Jackson County is pending. That project involves the patching and rehabilitation of pavement on U.S. 31 from Lake Road in Scott County to U.S. 50 in Seymour.

Dave O’Mara Contractors Inc. was the low bidder for that project at $5,188,986.95. Other bidders were Milestone Contractors LP, $5,482,488.33, and E&B Paving Inc., $6,272,000. The engineer’s estimate for that project is $6,744,000.

The award is pending because INDOT officials have asked for more time for administrative review.

A third project in Jackson County to repair and heat straighten a beam on Interstate 65 at U.S. 50 also is on hold because a bid of $137,409 from Evers Steel Construction LLC of Harrison, Ohio, was rejected after it exceeded the bidder’s bidding capacity.

A $119,250 bid from Flame On Inc. of Monroe, Washington, also was rejected because the company failed to submit a performance bond and a power of attorney letter.

That project has an engineer’s estimate of $254,000.