Bids were opened Monday on the Comfort Drive improvement project as part of the infrastructure upgrades planned at the future site of the Tempur Sealy plant.
The Montgomery County Board of Commissioners received bids totaling $14.8 million from three companies for the project.
Plans call for improving about 1 1/2 miles of roadway and installing a sanitary sewer lift station and roadside drainage ditches between Nucor Road and C.R. 250E.
The lowest bid was submitted by Flora-based F&K Construction for $4.7 million. The other bids came in from Milestone Contractors and Rieth-Riley Construction, both of Lafayette.
The project will be awarded at the next commissioners’ meeting on Nov. 22.
Ground was broken in October on the $138 million foam pouring manufacturing facility that is expected to employ at least 350 workers by 2025.
In other business, the county is hiring a consulting firm, United Consulting, to help apply for federal funding for deck rehabilitation and guardrail upgrades for three bridges.
The bridges are No. 63 on C.R. 600E over Little Sugar Creek in Franklin Township, No. 66 on C.R. 300S over Sugar Creek in Walnut Township and No. 175 on C.R. 550E over Raccoon Creek in Clark Township.
The total cost for the projects is expected to be $1.5 to $2 million. The county must match 20% of the grant in the amount of $300,000 to $400,000.
If awarded, construction would begin in 2026.
On another bridge project, Milestone Contractors was given approval to install an additional guardrail at Bridge No. 79 on C.R. 100W north of Interstate 74.
The guardrail will be installed on the east side of the northbound lane south of the bridge. The bridge reopened in September.
In other business, commissioners:
• Approved the renewal of county employee health insurance with Apex Benefits Group. There will be no increase in premiums or employee contributions in 2022.
• Awarded the county farm cash lease agreement to Wade Bennett for $210 per acre with a three-plus year term.
