Culvert tender well under budget

Council here has received a rare surprise: a bridge project with a surplus larger than the tendered cost of the project.

At the April 24 meeting, Mapleton council awarded a tender for replacement of a culvert on Sideroad 19 to Kurtis Smith Excavating Inc. for the tender price of $208,000 plus HST. The tender was the lowest of four submitted, with the highest coming in at $312,760 plus HST.

A report from public works director Sam Mattina notes $570,000 was allocated to the project in the 2018 capital budget, resulting in a surplus of $360,000.

“The resultant positive variance of approximately $360,000 will allow for additional capital program flexibility to the corporation overall,” stated Mattina in the report.