Highways commission approves two projects, loses one member

The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission on Wednesday approved contracts for the widening of U.S. Highway 65 to six lanes in Springfield and the addition of alternating passing lanes along State Highway 5 north of Lebanon.

The commission, which met in Springfield, awarded the Highway 65 widening project to Columbia-based Emery Sapp and Sons, which submitted a bid of $26.9 million, according to a Missouri Department of Transportation news release. Low bidder Archer, Western Contractors of Illinois was disqualified because the contractor did not comply with federal law that requires a certain percentage of work to be performed by approved Disadvantaged Business Enterprise companies, according to the release. Archer, Western's bid was $26.2 million.

Highway 65 between James River Freeway and Interstate 44 will be widened to six lanes, with construction slated to begin in September. A concrete barrier will separate the northbound and southbound lanes.

Emery Sapp and Sons also was awarded the contract for the Highway 5 work after submitting a low bid of $16.2 million.

The contract includes paving eight miles of newly relocated Highway 5 from State Highway 7 south of Camdenton to just south of the Camden-Laclede county line. The project also includes grading and paving along 10 miles of Highway 5 just south of the Camden-Laclede county line to Lebanon's northern city limit. That work should begin in early to mid-2010, according to MoDOT.

The $11.4 million first phase of the Highway 5 project began last year, and St. Charles-based Dave Kolb Grading Inc. is doing the grading work in preparation to relocate the Camden County stretch of the highway.

Also on Wednesday, Commission Chairman Mike Kehoe announced his resignation, which took effect immediately, and Gov. Jay Nixon signed legislation designating 2 percent of MoDOT's State Transportation Improvement Project list as "design-build" work.

"I was appointed to the commission in the spring of 2005. During that time, I have witnessed a rebirth at the Missouri Department of Transportation," said Kehoe, who owns a car dealership in Jefferson City, in a news release. "The department has delivered on its promises to the people of Missouri often times under budget and ahead of schedule. I am honored to have served with great commissioners and with the outstanding employees at MoDOT. It is, however, time for a new chapter in my life."

Nixon's signing of House Bill 359 will allow the commission to combine design and construction projects.

"Allowing the highway commission more design-build contracts will improve our government's efficiency and effectiveness," Nixon said in a news release. "By combining these steps, we save time and money, and we will be able to improve Missouri's highways more quickly."

According to MoDOT, the bill will enable Missouri to compete for a share of the $1.5 billion in Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery grants available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The bill also increases the dollar amount of design-build performance and payment bond requirements to allow amounts to be set at the "largest amount reasonably available," and increases surety requirements.