Trail to Freeport bids still within budget

When the Iowa Department of Transportation opened bids Tuesday on the project to extend Trout Run Trail to Freeport and to redo River Road, adding a bike lane, the lone bid of $2,233,356.13 by Skyline Construction was $400,000 to $500,000 higher than state and local highway officials had estimated — but was just a little over $5,000 higher than the figure used in the original TIGR Grant application—or less than a half of one percent.

Winneshiek County received a $1.6 million TIGR grant.  It will also use Farm to Market funds, local road funds and funds raised by the Trails From Freeport group—funds totaling $2,226,000.  Says Winneshiek County Engineer Lee Bjerke, "That is a win win to me."
 
The Winneshiek County Board will have to decide what to do with the bid by Skyline Construction.  The Federal Highway Administration also will have to approve the bid.