The city of Kalispell rejected bids last year on a drainage project in the South Meadows neighborhood. The wait ended up saving $168,000.

The Kalispell City Council will award one out of the latest round of contracts for the project at tonight’s regular meeting.

City Manager Doug Russell said that the first group of bids last August came in too high. The lowest topped $400,000 on an estimated $300,000 project. City staff surmised that contractors had busy schedules at the time.

The City Council decided to hold off on the project until last week when the bidding process opened again.

This time, the lowest bid came in from Downing Construction for $245,575.

According to a city memo, the drainage project includes the installation of storm drain inlets and manholes, ditch regrading and culvert cleaning for the South Meadows area west of Airport Road and behind the baseball fields.

Senior Civil Engineer Keith Haskins said that once awarded, the contract would last a month. A tentative groundbreaking date would be in mid-April with work wrapping up in May.

Before shovels hit the ground, the city plans to work with the contractor to determine potential road blockages.

“We’ll get a schedule and traffic control plan from the contractor, and then we’ll try to distribute that to the residents before the project starts,” Haskins said.

Also on the council’s agenda tonight is an agreement between the city and the Montana Department of Transportation on the U.S. 93 bypass project.

While the construction is a state-run project, the agreement would give the city certain maintenance responsibilities once completed. That includes the upkeep of pedestrian trails, street lights and signs.

The Department of transportation hopes to complete the remaining sections of the bypass by the fall of 2016. The state acquired a pathway for the segment that runs from Old Reserve Drive to U.S. 2. That would connect to the southern half of the bypass.

The project also includes a bridge on Four Mile Drive that would go over the bypass.

State officials have said they’re still waiting to secure federal funds as Congress works out a transportation package. The bypass project is estimated at around $30 million.

The council also will consider a resolution to support Flathead County’s effort to establish a 911 special district. A funding plan for the consolidated emergency dispatch center was narrowly defeated last fall in a referendum.

The Kalispell City Council will meet at 7 p.m. today in Council Chambers at City Hall, 201 First Ave. E.

Reporter Matt Hudson may be reached at 758-4459 or by email at mhudson@dailyinterlake.com.