In a unanimous decision, the Newman City Council voted 4-0 at its July 23 meeting to accept staff’s recommendation and accept Rolfe Construction’s lowest bid for the Jensen Road Improvements Project.
The bid of $976,638 was the lowest among the seven bids received, which opened on July 17. The City Manager was authorized to enter into the contract on behalf of the City of Newman.
“This has been on the City Council’s radar for some time,” said City Manager Michael Holland.
The project is an important step in the ongoing development of the Northwest Newman Master Plan. The City Council certified an environmental impact report for the master plan in December 2017, which is the first step toward annexation of the properties. The annexation process will be conducted in phases, with Phase 1, including the Jensen Road rights-of-way, already completed.
Currently, Jensen Road is underdeveloped, requiring vehicles to pull over to the side when overtaking. The approved project will address this problem by widening and reconstructing Jensen Road from one to two lanes between Fig Lane and Highway 33. It will also install new water infrastructure and create a pedestrian walkway along the north edge of the road.
The project was advertised in the Westside Index newspaper on June 26, July 3 and July 10, 2024. The bids received were as follows:
- Rolfe Construction: $976,638.00
- TBS Contractor: $979,188.57
- United Pavement Maintenance, Inc.: $997,341.55
- George Reed Inc.: $1,034,618.00
- McFadden Construction: $1,041,443.20
- Knife River Construction: $1,067,558.00
- Dirt Dynasty Inc.: $1,073,561.00
The engineer’s estimate for the project was $1,032,534.
“The fact that it came in under budget is really exciting,” Holland said.
Funding for the project comes from the American Rescue Plan Act.
Rolfe Construction has worked on several projects in Newman over the past three years, Holland said.
“They seem to enjoy working here,” he said.
