The Fayette city council last Tuesday approved the lowest of two qualifying bids for street repairs. The project aims to repave portions of Morrison, Davis, Spring, and Lucky streets, along with four intersections, and the downtown square.

The project is organized into three parts. Part A covers concrete repairs at intersections along Highway 240 (Church Street), including by the Casey’s General Store parking lot, the approach on the east side of Highway 240 across from O’Reilly’s Auto Parts, and those near C&R Market, and beside the carwash. Parts B and C address asphalt work on city streets and around the square

Don Schneiders Excavating’s bid of $949,471.58 included all three parts. Additional estimates that could require more extensive work around the square to remove old parking lines raise the total bid to $1,071,576.36 if necessary.

The four bids were opened on September 26 and read aloud by Tom Wooten of OWN Engineering, the company overseeing the project. OWN then reviewed all the bids before submitting its recommendation to the city. Two of the bids were incomplete and were therefore disqualified.

Sections to be repaved include parts of Morrison, Davis, and Spring Streets between Church Street and Highway 5, and Lucky Street between Highway 5 and Park Road.

Funding will come from multiple sources. City Administrator Deanna Cooper explained in September that the project is phased, with about $350,000 budgeted by the city. The downtown Fayette CID has indicated that it will contribute to eligible work within its district, which includes those intersections as far south as C&R, located inside the district’s boundaries.

The CID has committed to paying for two-thirds of the Church Street intersections and downtown seal coating at a cost of $218,464.12. The city will pay for the other one-third at a total of $109,232.06.

Southwest Ward Aldermen J.B. Waggoner and Grafton Cook both sit on the CID board. Waggoner said the board has been saving money for a large project such as this. “We’ve been building reserves for the time we’re really going to make a big impact to the district. The money is there. This will make a great improvement to our community.”

Mayor Greg Stidham said he hopes the concrete work at the intersections will be completed by the end of this year. With cold winter weather approaching, the asphalt work will be carried over in the next calendar year, likely in the spring, he said.

However, the city will have to make several infrastructure repairs to water and sewer lines below the streets before work can be completed.

The Fayette Board of Aldermen meets regularly at 6 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesdays of every month in City Hall. Meetings are open, agendas are published in advance, and the public is invited.