Crane Creek Construction. Inc. of Owatonna has been awarded a $1.9 million contract to make major improvements to 18th Avenue NW in Austin.

The action came at a special meeting of the Mower County Board of Commissioners Thursday afternoon.

Two bids were received July 23, according to Mike Hanson, Mower County Engineer. Before awarding a contract, the Minnesota Department of Transportation had to approve the contractor's ability to perform the work and a question of satisfying federal minority hiring regulations was reviewed.

Hanson told the commissioners Thursday the required guidelines of minority hiring were being followed by the Owatonna firm and that the Crane Creek bid could be considered.

Ulland Bros., Inc. bid just over $2 million to do the work, but Crane Creek's bid of $1,939,822 was the lowest.

Hanson told the commissioners, "You have two options here. One is to reject all bids and delay the project until 2003 or you can accept one of the bids, award a contract and proceed immediately with the project."

The commissioners didn't hesitate to accept the low bid.

Ray Tucker, 2nd District, made the motion to accept the Crane Creek bid. Richard P. Cummings, 1st District, seconded the motion. Commissioners unanimously approved the motion.

The much-anticipated project will upgrade a four-lane street from 4th Street NW to U.S. Highway 218, which is really a county state aid highway outside the Austin city limits in Lansing Township.

Arguably Austin's busiest thoroughfares, the stretch of 18th Avenue NW serves, among others, HyVee Food Store, Shopko and Oak Park Mall, the Big Kmart discount store and CashWise Food and Drug, Cooperative Response Center and Dolan's Landscape and Spas.

In addition, The Oaks condominiums is accessed from the busy thoroughfare.

Because of the heavy traffic, many accidents have been reported in recent years, including fatalities. So concerned were The Oaks condominium owners that they petitioned the county board for attention to their public safety worries.

The city of Austin also entered the controversy by pushing the county commissioners for action. The city has assisted business development in the area with financial subsidies.

However, the city of Austin, nor the private property owners along 18th Avenue NW, have any financial role in the project.

According to Hanson, two lanes of the four-lane thoroughfare will be blocked to traffic while the work begins this summer. That means single-lane traffic only in both east and west directions

Hanson said the contractor must complete curb and guttering, all underground piping and traffic signal work by Nov. 15.

The balance of the work, including new sidewalks, street lighting and resurfacing will be done next spring.

A preconstruction meeting is being held today to finalize the work.

According to Hanson, Crane Creek is completing work in Dinsmoor Acres at the south edge of the Austin city limits. In addition the firm was a sub-contractor on the Shooting Star recreation trail project from Taopi to LeRoy.

Lee Bonorden can be contacted at 434-2232 or by e-mail at lee.bonorden@austindailyherald.com