Saline Council Approves Beach Court Construction

Saline City Council approved a contract regarding the resurfacing of Beach Ct. and Sauk Trail with Asphalt Specialists LLC. The roads’ quality, measured on a PASER scale, has been rated as the lowest possible score in the last two evaluation cycles.

“Beach Court is in, I would say, abysmal shape,” Mayor Brian Marl said. “I think that’s a fair assessment, and it’s much needed, and I know that the businesses in that area will be very appreciative of the work.”

Marl said the “expedited” timeline for the project will also be a benefit to local businesses. According to City Engineer Tesha Humphriss, the contract “came in under budget,” allowing the city to hopefully move forward with construction this spring.

“The increase in capital costs that we saw right after COVID for a few years seems to be leveling out,” Humphriss said.

The project was originally projected to cost approximately $1.3 million. The current contract with Asphalt Specialists is not set to exceed $533,817.40. Additionally, the city will contract another $71,000 to OHM Engineering, the firm that will oversee the construction and design process for the resurfacing.

“This particular project has a really short timeframe, in the grand scheme,” City Manager Dan Swallow said. “Some projects last, you know, multiple years. So there will only be a couple of pay estimates here.”

The contracts with both Asphalt Specialists and OHM Engineering were both passed unanimously.