WOODSFIELD — Monroe County officials received multiple bids for an estimated $848,716 roadway improvement project.

County Engineer Amy Zwick said the Ohio Public Works Commission-funded project includes various improvements to a portion of Monroe County Road 2 in Center Township.

“For our OPWC round 34 project this year, we have a portion of County Road 2 that will have contract work on it. There will be some neck stabilization and asphalt and eventually some striping and shoulder aggregate,” she said.

The county received three bids for the work. Zwick opened the bids during the Monroe County Board of Commissioners meeting Monday morning. They include:

∫ Shelly & Sands Inc. of Rayland for $586,539;

∫ NLS Paving Inc. of St. Clairsville for $647,341.30; and

∫ Bear Contracting LLC of Bridgeport, West Virginia, for $745,104.50.

All three bids came in under the engineer’s original estimate of $848,716. The bids have been tabled until a notice to proceed has been provided through Gov. Mike DeWine’s office. The notice is required by the OPWC to move forward.

“Because it (the project) is through OPWC we have to wait until they give us notice to proceed. So as soon as the governor decides to sign the paperwork we will get our notice to proceed.” she said.

The project completion date is set for Sept. 30. However if the project is delayed due to a wait in receiving the proceed notice then the date could be extended, Zwick said.

Zwick said the department also applied for funding through the Ohio Department of Transportation to fix some of the slips throughout the county that are not eligible for FEMA funding.

“They’ve (ODOT) been taking the stance, last year and this year, that with all of the slips and all of the damage on all the roads that it has to be pretty bad for them to want to fund it right now just because of limited funds, so basically if the road is not closed or not near being closed all the way then they’re not even really looking at it,” she said.

Only one slip was recently approved for funding — a slip repair on Monroe County Road 81.

“It’s 145 feet at the 1.5 mile marker on County Road 81,” she said.

The project design plans will be completed by ADR & Associates who are pre-qualified through ODOT. The total cost is $49,900.

“That will be 100 percent funded through Federal Highways ODOT,” Zwick said.

On the recommendation of the engineer, Commissioners Tim Price, Mick Schumacher and Carl Davis unanimously signed a letter approving the company to complete the design work for the slip repair. The company is allocated 180 days to complete the design work to receive full funding through ODOT.