The Vilas County highway committee opened bids for the multi-million dollar Highway "B" project and selected the firm of Pitlik & Wick over Northeast Asphalt with just $33,000 separating the two proposals.
The approximately 20 mile project between Land O' Lakes and Presque Isle is the largest single county road reconstruction proposal. When Vilas County highway administrator Nick Scholtes proposed doing the reconstruction as one project in one year rather than a number of smaller segments over many years, he predicted the project cost at $4.5 million, a savings of one-half million dollars.
Two bids with detailed numbers were received and documented. Pitlik & Wick's total was $4,322,455 and Northeast Asphalt was $4,355,291 . . . a difference of $32,826. The project will be from Highway 45 at Land O' Lakes to 1.5 miles east of Palmer Lake Road with the second segment from Highway M to Crab Lake Road.
The largest cost will be for new base aggregate and asphalt at $3,117,880. Work is expected to begin in mid-May starting with 29 culvert replacements costing $510,000. There will be times when Highway B will be closed with detours established.
Twelve gurard rails will be removed and replaced and 10 snowmobile crossings reconstructed costing $51,000. The committee reviewed construction oversight applications of the Highway B project. On recommendation of Scholtes, the committee approved the application of Core, Inc of Eau Claire for $49,355 over Westbrook of Spring Green at $66,750.
