Ames Construction out of Utah submitted the lowest apparent bid Thursday for the first segment of the south half of Kalispell’s U.S. 93 Bypass, coming in $3.6 million below the engineer’s estimate.

The West Valley City, Utah, office of Ames Construction bid $12.5 million for the 1.54-mile stretch from U.S. 2 West south to Airport Road. The engineer’s estimate for that segment was $16.1 million.

“Bids were very competitive,” Montana Department of Transportation Director Jim Lynch said. “A lot of bidders were very close to each other.”

Lynch said the contract plan division was examining the bids on Thursday to be sure all items align with specifications. He expected that to be finished by the end of the day.

The highway department now makes a recommendation to the state highway commission about which firm should be awarded the contract on Tuesday.

Montana and federal laws require that the work go to the lowest qualified bidder, Lynch said.

Of the six other bids submitted Thursday, four were from Flathead Valley firms, one from a Missoula

company and one from a Washington firm.

Nelcon Inc. of Kalispell submitted the second-lowest bid at just below $13 million.

Other bidders were Riverside Contracting Inc. of Missoula at just under $13.7 million; Schellinger Construction Co. Inc. of Columbia Falls at just more than $13.7 million; Knife River of Kalispell, $16.3 million; M.A. Deatley Construction Inc. of Clarkston, Wash., $16.4 million; and LHC Inc. of Kalispell, $16.9 million.

Ames Construction bid out of its Utah office but has locations in several states, Lynch said. He added that there’s a good chance the company will subcontract work to local firms.

Thursday’s bid opening was made possible when the highway department received the stormwater handling permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers a week ago.

Purchase of the last parcel of land for right-of-way on the alternate truck route had been finalized the week before. Federal stimulus money through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act helped accelerate that process this summer.

The overall cost for the south half of the route is estimated between $34 and $38 million. That figure covers all construction and engineering work.

“If all goes well, if there’s good weather and we get some time to work in the winter, their portion of the project has a good chance of being done by this time next year — or at least significant completion,” Lynch said.

Bids for the other segment of the southern bypass route — running from Airport Road to its interchange with U.S. 93 south of Gardner’s Auction — will be opened on Dec. 3. Lynch said he expects to see some, if not all, of the same bidders.

The north half of the U.S. 93 Bypass (stretching from U.S. 2 to meet U.S. 93 near West Reserve Drive) will proceed as money becomes available.

The two-lane alternate truck route being built first includes a separate bicycle path running the length of the route between U.S. 2 and U.S. 93 South.

Access points to the southern section will be:

n At a relocated junction of Corporate Way and U.S. 2 West.

n Just east of Valley View Drive on Foy’s Lake Road near the old railroad tracks.

n On Airport Road south of Cemetery Road (this is a new access point).

n Between U.S. 93 South and Airport Road.

n On U.S. 93 South just south of Gardner’s Auction.

All the access points are designed as roundabouts except the direct ramps on and off U.S. 93 South and U.S. 2 West.

Check out the planned route and other information on the Web site set up by the Department of Transportation, http://www.kalispellbypass.com

Reporter Nancy Kimball can be reached at 758-4483 or by e-mail at nkimball@dailyinterlake.com