The Kingfisher City Commission approved a major street improvement project for Will Rogers Drive during its May 11 meeting, awarding the contract to Rudy Construction Company for $398,990.77.
City officials said the project came in significantly under the engineer’s estimate of approximately $506,000, with consulting engineer Steve Mann of Team Design calling it an “incredibly low bid.” Mann explained that several contractors are aggressively seeking work right now as larger cities in the region have slowed infrastructure projects.
“We got an incredibly low bid from them, and they’re ready to get started,” Mann told commissioners.
The project will involve far more than simply overlaying new asphalt. Mann explained that crews will mill off the top two inches of pavement to expose areas where the road base has failed. Those sections will then be rebuilt before the roadway is resurfaced.
The work will also include curb and gutter replacement, new striping, updated signage, and improvements to the traffic signal detection system near McDonald’s.
“The street’s going to be brand new,” Mann said.
Commissioners discussed concerns about traffic disruptions during graduation week and upcoming school activities. Engineers said construction is not expected to begin immediately, and the contractor will be instructed to delay major work until after community events conclude.
The project is expected to take approximately 60 days to complete and will be constructed in phases to keep traffic moving. Officials said the intent is to maintain two lanes of traffic throughout the project whenever possible because of the roadway’s importance to nearby neighborhoods, schools, and the library.
Commissioners also questioned the large difference between the engineer’s estimate and the winning bid. Mann said Rudy Construction has an established reputation and extensive experience with similar projects.
“Rudy’s done good work,” Mann said. “We will actually be inspecting the project to ensure that what is in the plan specification is being put down.”
The commission ultimately approved the project. Photo by AAN Jack Quirk
