CADIZ – The Harrison County Engineer’s Office is looking to expand its current garage storage facility to hold offices along with equipment.

The engineer’s office currently operates partially out of an office located inside the courthouse while the remainder of the Harrison County Highway staff operate out of the highway garage in Cadiz.

The Harrison County Board of Commissioners announced the county will be looking for a company to perform the expansion work during Wednesday’s meeting.

County Engineer Doug Bachman said the vast majority of the department’s time is spent at the garage, however, due to lack of space his office is located inside the courthouse. It would make for a more effective department if all work was performed out of a singular space, he said.

“Over 90% of our budget is spent at the highway garage and so to more effectively manage it, it would be better if all operations took place in one location,” he said.

The facility was originally constructed in 1997 to house equipment.

Commissioner Don Bethel said unfortunately when the facility was built there was no additional space for the engineer’s office.

Commissioner Dale Norris said the new facility is a much needed edition.

“It’s well needed. Most highway garages and engineers in other counties are together, so this is just putting everything together,” he said.

The county is looking to contract a company to perform the architectural and engineering services for the design and construction of the new office facility. Interested firms must provide qualification statements to commissioners by 10 a.m. July 15.

In other county news, the engineer opened bids for an upcoming paving project on Harrison County Road 44. The project entails the paving of 3.37 miles of roadway between the intersection of Abnor Road and intersection of Ohio 151.

Two of the bids came in under the engineer’s original estimate of $513,000.

Bachman opened the three bids that included;

— NLS Paving out of St. Clairsville for $493,313;

— Shelly & Sands out of Zanesvillle for $503,303;

— Cast & Baker Corporation out of Canonsburg, Pa. for $629,368.

Bachman recommended the bids be tabled for further review. Commissioner Paul Coffland made a motion to do so on his recommendation, Bethel seconded the motion and it was unanimously passed.