Repairs to Business 30 in Lisbon are on hold after bids came in $60,000 to $70,000 higher than expected.
The bids were for a few needed improvements, including work on the turning lanes at Lisbon Schools and Washington Street, Lisbon city engineer David Schechinger stated.
The city received three bids for the project, with Midwest Concrete lowest at $175,384.The highest of the three was $187,738.
Schechinger said that engineers were hoping for bids closer to $115,000.
Schechinger suggested two factors contributing to price increases this year: The cost of concrete by the square foot was higher than the engineer’s office had expected and many companies are experiencing a labor shortage.
Schechinger said the city’s options are to award the project at the $175,000 range or hold off on doing the project and rebidding the project at a later date to see if prices will be lower. Schechinger said a local contractor had been interested in the project initially, but did not submit a bid.
Lisbon city administrator Brandon Siggins noted that any road construction project being bid on now will most likely have work starting in the spring of next year.
Lisbon mayor Doug O’Connor wondered if the city could get federal dollars from the infrastructure bill for the project.
Siggins noted his concern that when the money enters the markets, there could be a lot more jobs than workers, and contractors would have the ability to name their price.
Lisbon city council member Nathan Smith moved to table action on the bids until the next meeting to allow Schechinger time to see if items could be removed from the projects to move them forward or if the city will have to rebid the projects later this winter and see if prices even out again.