Mono Way Widening Still Over Budget

Sonora, CA — The City of Sonora has received the second round of bids for the Mono Way widening project.

The first time around, the lowest bid was over $4 million, which was well over the City Engineer’s estimate. City of Sonora Administrator Tim Miller says three companies submitted bids during the second round, and George Reed Incorporated of Modesto came in as the most affordable.

“The bids ranged from just over $3.9 million to just over $4.9 million,” said Miller.

The city included two alternatives that could reduce the price by about $300K. Miller notes, “One includes deleting the decorative finish work on the retaining walls, and the other provides for cutting the street, and installing the storm drain pipeline, instead of jacking the pipe under the street.”

Miller says if both alternatives are selected, it could bring George Reed’s bid down to about $3.6 million. That said, it is still around $800K more than what was budgeted for the project.

During the first round of bidding last Fall, KW Emerson of San Andreas initially had the lowest bid of $3.39 million, but it was later withdrawn because it did not cover all aspects of the project. The second lowest bid was George Reed Incorporated, at $4.05 million.

City officials will meet with county leaders over the next week to talk about how to cover the excess costs. The project is a joint effort between the city and county, with Sonora serving as the lead agency. Miller says he still hopes a contract will be awarded in late March or early April so that construction can begin in the Spring.

Mono Way will be expanded to five lanes, from Greenley Road to Fir Drive.