Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1921-08-30
indiana FIRM GIVEN
CONSTRUCTION WORK
ON 6.8I MILES STRIP
Springfield Aug. 80, 192l-(SpeciaD- D-Ernest
Berns & Co., of Indianapolis, Ind, were today
awarded the contract by the State Department Of

Public Works and Build
ings for the construction
with concrete Of Section
I, Route % Of the State Bond Issue
Roads in La Sale County. The con-
tract price is $2o0,332 for 6.81 miles,
an average of $29, 400 per mile. The
same company was awarded the con-
tract for $27, ,234 for constructing the
bridges on this section.
Section of route 23 is the main
road running between Ottawa and
Grand Ridge. on the Ottawa-Streator
Highway. The paving will start at
the old mill, just on the south edge of
the city limits, and viii run due south
to the Westley Rinker farm, 1900 feet
south of the section cross roads divid-
ing sections 13, IA. 29 and "a, and
leading into Grand Ridge.
The contract for the bridge is for
the erection of reinforced concrete
girder structure over Covel Creek.
The bridge is 10S feet in length and
is an exact duplicate of the bridge
over Coyel Creek, on the concrete
drive west of the city. 1t is to be
erected with an ornamental brick
railing.
All of the road is to be built of con-
crete and viii be eighteen feet in
width.
While no official announcement of
the letting Of the contract has been
received at the Department of Public
Works and Buildings engineers office
in this city, it is believed that work
will be started at once on the high
way, and will be rushed thru as quick
ly as possible.
Awards Total $1,474,4e4.32.
Springfield, Ill.,, Aug 30.--ContractS
for approximately fifty-one miles OF
cement roads were awarded today by
Governor Small at a cost OF 81, ,474
AS432, or an average Of $2S, ,961 per
mile. Had these contracts been let
last spring, when he refused TO pay
$4,000 per mile, the roads would have
cost the state more than $2,000000,
the governor said.
Todays contracts were awarded on
bids received Aug. %. At that time
bids We're also opened for an add.
tional cighty-seyen miles OF paving
contracts which are still pending fur
ther investigation by highway Off
cials. The greater part OF this mile
age will probably be let in few days,
highway officials said.
The low bid received a week ago
was submitted by II. X Rhodes of
. Lincoln, H., on eight miles of paving
in Mclean county. The average cost
for this piece Of road viii be S23,742
per mile, it was said This bid, how
ever, is included among those which
are still being investigated by otf-
ciaIs The only bids formally reject
cd today were those on section ! in
Jackson county and section q in Mad
ison county.
Governor Small denied that he has
secured a reduction in road costs by
cheapening the specifications.
"The contracts let are under the
| cighteen-foot 1921 standard specifics
| tions and the price includes cement.
roadway complete the governor
| said AS matter of fact the 1927
! specifications arc more rigid than
! those of 1929 and the eighteen+foot
roadway built under them actually
costs more than the roadway built
under the 1920 specifications.
Contracts awarded today follow:
Route 3, Green county, 4.1S miles
/ Joseph Kesl 4 Son, contract price
/ $121,97249; cost per mile, S29,lS0.
Route =, Winnebago-Stephenson
| counties 1859 miles--C. c. Wander
! pool & Sons contract price, $3l2e
( 699.15: cost per mile. $29,520.
/ Route -. Williamson county. 5.Sl
/ miles-Keokuk Quarry and Construc-
/ tion company, contractors; contract
price. $l64,955.67; cost per mile, $2S,
/ 400