Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1920-07-27
IET CONTRACT
FOR HIGHWAY
GENERAL CONSTRUCTION co. LOW
EST BIDDERS FOR STATE ROAD
WORK IN BOUNDARY COUNTY
ALL BIDS WERE OVER ESTIMATES
suecificaIiOns Changed To Bring Cost
within Amounts Available.

County Commissioners ]. A. Welch
and r. G. Chambers returned home last
night from Boise and Coeur d'Alene
and announced that practically all ar
rangements have been completed for
the Immediate starting of work on the
North and South state highway in
boundary and Bonner counties. Be
fore leaving Coeur d'Alene Yesterday
the commissioners were told by VIM.
j. Hall, commissioner of public works
Of Idaho, that he had seen the success
full contractor and that the work would
be rushed to completion.
Bids were opened at Boise on July
%. as advertised, for the proposed road
work in this and Bonner county. All
the bids were a great deal higher than
had been anticipated and all were far
above the appropriation available
s1S46OS.50 The lowest bid was that
of the General Construction Co, which
was S241 ,S75.70. The highest bid
amounted to over 1855 100000.
Commissioner of Public Works Hall
and the State Engineer d. P. Olson, ad-
ysed the commissioners of Boundary
and Bonner county that it would be
best to proceed with the work as far
as the funds would permit and so the
specifications have been altered in
such manner as to come within the
sum available.
One change in the specifications was
made in the cutting out of the improv-
ing OF three miles of road between
Bonners Ferry and Peterson's hill
This reduction was never contemplated
by the county commissioners or the
state officials but was forced on them
because the federal officials would not
consent to using federal money on the
road in its present location.
T. NJ Keene, of Missoula, district en-
gineer of public roads for the govern
ment, absolutely refused to accept the
route now used and if this portion of
the proposed state highway had not
been eliminated the road work would
have been held up or it would have
been necessary to secure a new right
of-way on the south bench at an ex-
pense of approximately $4,000 and dis
card the present road altogether. The
federal officials rejected the present
route on account of the many turns
and insisted that it be run on a direct
line from the top of the Mahoney hill
to the top of the Peterson hill.
The county commissioners state that
they now figure that they will be able
to gravel this three mile stretch of
road and pay for the work out of gen.
eral funds, in order to complete the
stretch of hard surfaced road from
the county boundary line to Bonners
Ferry.
Another change in the specifications
was the reducing of the amount of
gravel to be used to the mile from 1000
yards to 1900 yards, making saving
OF $l7O67.50. Guard rails were also
taken out of the specifications in sew
eral places making another reduction
OF $7,OS0 and total of s13,00S.00 was
taken off the general bid by minor
other reductions at various points
along the route.
The specifications call for 2S.7 acres
oil clearing and 48S square rods of
grubbing. 1t is planned to do this
work by force account and the com
mlssioners believe they can save $4,000
OF $4,000 in this item
When the commissioners left Occur