Stephens Co. Commission Deals With Road Related Bids

Stephens County Commissioners are moving forward with plans to pave three gravel roads in the county.

On Tuesday, Stephens County Commissioners voted unanimously to reject a bid from Colwell Construction Company, Inc. for setting base and triple surface treatment on Freedom Drive/Freedom Court, Wards Creek Road, and Swilling Road.

According to Stephens County Administrator Phyllis Ayers, staff feels a much better option is for county road crews to take care of paving these roads themselves.

“Paving all three of these roads in-house is approximately $85,000 cheaper,” said Ayers. “We only had one bidder to bid on the gravel roads. We have the pavers, we have the rollers, we have the skill.”

Ayers said there is no set timeline for getting to these gravel roads, but she says they will be done this paving season.

Also on Tuesday, the county commission unanimously voted to approve a bid from Parker Traffic Markings for labor, equipment, and materials for the installation of pavement markings on various roads in Stephens County for the remainder of this calendar year.

Ayers said setting up this agreement will speed up the process for marking a road after work is completed on it.

“The way it is right now, we finish a road, we have to pick up the phone and call three bids for those rids,” said Ayers. “This is just as we need a road striped, who is going to be the cheapest of the bidders.”

Ayers did say they will re-bid this for next year.

Speaking of road work, Ayers says that county road crews will be back on Rock Creek Road doing more work starting this morning for the next several days.

She said the crews will be on the Harbert Valley Road side of Rock Creek Road.

Motorists in that area should use caution.