$3.6 million bid on Pole Line Road paving is rejected by Iowa Department of Transportation

The only bid on the project to repave part of Pole Line Road has been rejected by the Iowa Department of Transportation for not meeting state requirements for minority hiring.

Mathy Construction of Onalaska, Wisconsin had submitted a bid for $3.6 million dollars for the project, but state officials in Ames have rejected the bid because Mathy did not promise to meet the requirement that a certain amount of the work be done by minority-owned companies.  "The contractor knew what the rules were," said Winneshiek County Engineer Lee Bjerke, adding that there were a lot of ways Mathy could have complied with the rule.

The project now will have to be rebid.  Bjerke is hoping the bid opening can take place in April, so the delay in the project can be minimized.  He's also hoping the new round of bids won't be higher than Mathy's bid earlier this month.